


31 Day Prompt List: A Beifong Family Affair

by OurImpavidHeroine



Series: A Precarious Family Legacy or: How the Beifongs Got Their Groove Back [7]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Beifong Family Dramalama, Family Feels, Multi, Non-Comic Compliant, Plenty of OCs because that's how I roll, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, These people curse like sailors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-06-27 13:15:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 51,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19791631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OurImpavidHeroine/pseuds/OurImpavidHeroine
Summary: 31 Prompts. 31 Days. Beifong family dramalama served hot. Canon Beifongs, OC Beifongs, several generations; they're all here for your reading pleasure!





	1. Annoyance

Opal looked down at her paper.

_1\. Eun_

_2\. Arjun_

_3\. Satra_

_4._

"Who else has Arjun?" Lei asked, leaning over to peer at Minh's paper. 

"Me," Opal said, and both Minh and Dara nodded.

"He's so cuuuuuuute," Minh crooned, flopping over on Opal's bed. 

"I think he likes Kuvira, though." Lei frowned, looking over at her. "Does he?"

Opal shrugged. "How do I know?" She didn't want to talk about Kuvira. "I only have three names. Can I do it with just three?"

"No, it has to be four. What did you put down for cities, Dara?" Lei stabbed her pen at her own paper.

"Zaofu, Ba Sing Se, Republic City and Gaoling."

"Gaoling! Who'd want to live in Gaoling?" Lei wrinkled up her nose.

"My grandma's from Gaoling," she said, giving Lei a look. "Who do you have for your husbands?"

"Arjun, Satra, Due and Junior," Lei replied promptly.

"Ew! Not my brother! Come on!"

"Your brother's cuuuuuuuuute," Minh said. "I have him on my list, too."

"Gross!"

"I don't," said Dara. "But I have Eun."

Opal flung herself down next to Minh. "I can't think of a fourth one!"

"Put down anyone! Who cares!" Lei grabbed her paper out of her hands. "Here." She scrawled something down and then handed it back to Opal.

"What? Not Chen, come on!"

"One time, in class, he made such a huge burp that the teacher sent him into the hall," Minh informed them.

"And he picks his nose!"

"Ew!"

"I want somebody else than Chen," she said, but Lei snatched the paper out of her hand again.

"Too late now, we're starting. Me first." Lei shut her eyes. "Okay, Dara, draw the spiral." Dara obediently started to draw, waiting for Lei's command. "Stop!" Lei opened her eyes again. "How many was that?"

"Six," Dara said, and Lei started to count down, crossing words off on her list every time she hit the sixth one.

"House with Junior, we'll live in Ba Sing Se and have three firebending kids and I'll be a famous singer!" Lei looked pleased. 

"So gross," she muttered, revolted at the very idea someone would want to marry her oldest brother. "And good luck with the firebending kids."

"My turn, my turn!" Minh got seven, and was just as pleased to get Junior as Lei, although they were going to live in a swamp shack in Ba Sing Se with one earthbending child and she was going to be a hairdresser. "We're both going to marry Junior!"

"He'll divorce you and marry me, I'm going to be famous," Lei said, fanning herself with her hand, and Minh attacked her with a pillow. "Okay, Opal's turn." She got seven as well and quickly counted down.

_Not Chen, not Chen, not Chen._

"Oooh, Opal got Arjun," Minh squealed. "Lucky!"

"Mansion in Republic City with Arjun, two airbending kids, and I'll be a fashion designer." Her cheeks got hot. 

"Arjun is so cuuuuuuuuuuute," Minh sighed again. "I wish I had him too."

"Yeah, but nobody could have airbending kids though, right?" Lei wasn't happy that she got Arjun, she could tell. She shrugged.

"Well, there are three little kids who are airbenders but that's it. One of them is still a baby, pretty much."

Lei scowled. "How do you know?"

"My mom grew up in Republic City, remember? She grew up with the old Avatar, and his son, the last airbender. Like, she practically lived on Air Temple Island."

"Did you ever meet them?" Minh sat up at that.

She shook her head. "No, I've never been to Republic City. My mom and her sister had a huge fight and they don't talk to each other any more."

"Yeah, but your grandma was Toph Beifong, though." Dara pointed out. "So she knew the Avatar too, right? The old one, I mean."

"Right." Grandma knew plenty of famous people, but in Opal's experience she rarely had anything nice to say about them. Grandma was like that. One time at dinner she called Queen Hou-Ting a _moronic pox-ridden dickspittle of epic proportions_ and one of the footmen was so offended that he nearly quit.

"Does your mother know the new Avatar?" Minh wanted to know, and she shook her head again.

"No, she's never been to Zaofu." _And I've never been anywhere,_ she thought, but didn't say. "But my mom's met her dad. You know, the Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe."

"Plus your mom is so glamorous," Minh sighed. "Like my mom is so boring, but your mom always has such beautiful clothes and is so talented."

"I guess." She didn't want to talk about her mother, either. "So Dara, let's do yours. I'll draw for you."

She'd just taken up her pen and had started a spiral when her bedroom door slammed open, admitting two rotten, despicable, awful and very much unwanted twins. Twins who had clearly been into the laundry and her mother's makeup, no less; Wing was sporting a good deal of green eyeshadow on his eyes (and cheeks, weirdly enough) and Wei had gotten into Mom's lipstick, drawing it crudely on his mouth, cheeks and even over his eyes. Both of them were wearing bits and pieces of her clothes as well as her mother's, Wing even putting on one of Mom's brand new and daringly fashionable brassieres that she'd special ordered from Republic City, stuffing it full of what looked like dirty socks. _Mom is going to murder him._

"Hi girls," Wei said, batting his eyelashes and making his voice sound all squeaky. "Mind if we join the party?"

Wing fondled his fake boobs and waggled his eyebrows. "Shall we have some tea?"

"Get out!" She leapt off her bed, her friends dissolving into giggles, which was exactly the wrong thing to do. You could never laugh at the twins; they just took it as encouragement. "Is that my new blouse? Take it off, Wei, you asshole!"

"Opal!" Dara came from a very nice family where probably nobody ever called each other assholes. She ignored her to go after her brother.

"Seriously, I will kill you. Take it off! And you better not have gotten any lipstick on it!"

"Ooooh, sister dear, such violence from such a perfect little lady!" Wing put a shocked hand up to his mouth. "I think I may faint!" He put a dramatic hand to his forehead, knocking loose one of Mom's jeweled combs that he'd managed to stab into his short hair.

"Help! Help!" Wei gasped, jumping up over her desk chair, getting tangled up in a long train he'd made out of one of Mom's shawls, teetering before crashing down to the floor. He lay there for a second before looking up at Lei, at whose feet he was currently sprawled. He gave her a huge grin. "Hey there, gorgeous." Lei giggled even harder.

"Your little brothers are so cute!"

"We know," Wei said, batting his eyelashes again.

"GET OUT," she shrieked, and at that point Junior stuck his head in her door.

"What the hell's going on in here? I'm trying to help Huan study."

She pointed at Wing, who could not keep his hands off of Mom's brassiere. "What do you think is going on?"

Junior frowned. "All right, you little farts, you've had your fun, now scram."

"Make me!" Wei sat up, glaring. Great. Now the two of them would go at it in front of her friends.

"Hi Junior," Minh said, never letting an opportunity pass her by. She patted at her braids.

"Hey Minh," he said absently, too busy giving Wei a look to otherwise bother with her. "Seriously, Infant. Read the room. Your exit is overdue." He glanced over. "Wing, is that one of Mom's new brassiere things? She's going to kick your ass."

Wing blanched. "Uh..." Putting his hands protectively over his boobs he started to inch towards the door. "It was just a joke."

"Yeah? You really think Mom's going to laugh over that one? Because I think not." Junior raised an eyebrow. "She's going to be home from her meeting any time now. You want to be the first thing she sees when she walks in the door?"

"Ladies, it's been a pleasure," Wing made an elaborate bow, the comb sliding out of his hair to hit the floor. He scooped it up and with a grin, blew kisses and backed out into the hallway. They could all hear the sound of his boots hitting the floor as he made a run for it.

"You better put everything back where you found it," Junior called after him. "And clean up whatever mess you made with her makeup!" He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Dimshit." He looked back down at Wei. "And you, Dimshit Number Two."

"Excuse you, I'm Dimshit Number One!" Wei liked to lord over the fact that he was the older twin.

"Yeah you are," Junior grinned, and Wei's eyes narrowed. "Out."

"I'll get out when I want to get out!"

She lunged and Wei dodged, springing up to the bed next to Lei. "I said get out!"

Junior glanced down at his wristwatch. It'd been a present for his sixteenth birthday two months past; it was really fancy, telling the temperature as well as the time and was waterproof to boot. Junior loved it. "The next tram's arriving in three minutes. Mom may or may not be on it, but I'm voting on. Your choice, Infant."

"Fine," Wei muttered, and hopped off her bed. "You're a noodledick, Junior."

"Wow, such an insult. I may never recover. Boo-hoo, now I'm crying." Junior sneered at him, and Wei aimed a kick at him as he passed by, which Junior, knowing it was coming, avoided. "Better clean that shit off your face, too."

Wei whipped around, fists on his waist. "And what if I don't?"

Junior shrugged. "Your funeral when Mom sees you, then."

"I hate you," Wei muttered, slouching out the door. Junior ignored him again to finally look around her room.

"Okay, Opie?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

He winked at her. "Anytime. If they come back come and get me, okay?" He frowned a little. "Huan's having a bad day."

She nodded. "Yeah, okay."

He gave a little half wave to her friends. "Hey. Sorry about my brothers."

"That's okay, Junior." Minh was practically breathless. "You really handled it."

He snorted at that. "Lots of practice. I'll leave you to it." He backed out, shutting her door behind him.

"He. Is. So. Cuuuuuuuuuuuute," Minh flung herself back down on the bed. "You are so lucky, Opal!"

"It's not like she's going to go out with him, seeing as he's her brother," Lei said, meeting her eyes, the two of them exchanging a look. Sometimes Minh really was too much. Dara was a little hesitant, however.

"Is Huan okay?" Dara was the only one of her friends who was actually nice to Huan.

"He'll be okay if Junior's helping him," she replied. "Do you want to finish yours?" She raised her pen over Dara's paper.

"Maybe Dara will get Arjun too and then you two can fight over him," Minh said, with a giggle, and Dara, cheeks pink, thumped her one with a pillow.


	2. Hurt/Comfort

He knew something was wrong the moment she started to sort through the mail the majordomo had left on her desk. She was good at hiding her feelings; an expert at showing a pleasant face for most things, so long as she kept her temper, of course. But you couldn't live with a woman for nearly twenty years without picking up other signs. Her shoulders would stiffen just the slightest bit; her spine, always elegantly poised thanks to her grandmother's training, would take on new heights.

"Susi?" 

She glanced up at that, mouth twisting. "Yes?"

"What is it?"

A shrug, meant to be casual, but he knew better. "Nothing." He waited; another shrug, this one even jerkier. "Just mail from Republic City."

Ah, there it was, then. He walked towards her. "Your sister?"

She tossed the letter back towards the desk. "No surprise." RETURN TO SENDER had been slashed across the address in bold, dark strokes. He'd never met his notorious sister-in-law, of course, but he'd have a lot to say to her if he ever did.

"Oh, Susi." He reached out to her but she wasn't ready for it yet.

"Who's the greater fool? Me or her?" She threw up a hand. "No, don't answer that. It's me. I keep trying, over and over again, when she keeps shooting me down."

Her sister had made herself pointedly clear on numerous occasions; she plainly wanted no contact. He thought it was unconscionably harsh of her. It was true that Su had been on a bad path and even truer that she'd disfigured her sister's face. But she'd only been fifteen at the time, the same age as Junior. Still a child, with a child's heedless impulsiveness and disregard for consequences. Su had never tried to shift the blame onto anyone else, however. Not that his mother-in-law was willing to shoulder any of it, of course. Toph Beifong thought she was above and beyond reproach for anything at all. He'd tried, over the years, for Su's - and especially for Huan's - sake to bite his tongue with regards to his mother-in-law. He'd tried to be friendly and that had been soundly rejected. He'd gone for civil at that point, not that Toph gave a damn about civility, either. It wasn't like she practiced it herself. He hadn't been sorry when she'd taken off some years back, yet to return. He didn't miss her. He especially didn't miss the way she ignored and dismissed Junior. It was one thing if she didn't like him, but Junior was her own flesh and blood. It wasn't right.

He found himself, every single time he passed one of her statues, with an incredibly immature desire to deface them. "You aren't a fool."

She snorted, eyes bright with tears. "Oh, I'm a fool."

"The disc's in her court, Susi. What can you do? You've offered and offered. It's on her that she refuses to take you up on it."

She flicked away an escaped tear with an angry finger. She always had hated crying, considered it a weakness in herself. "She is such a bitter old bitch."

He put his arms around her then. "But you aren't. You are a loving wife and mother, generous and kind. You don't make her choices for her, Susi. She makes them on her own."

She dropped her head onto his chest. "I know...but her face..."

He sighed and tightened his embrace. "You were still a child. You've tried to make amends. You can't force her to accept it. You can't force her to do anything."

A single sob. "I know."

He brought a hand up to the back of her head, twining his fingers into her curls. "Susi, Junior is the same age that you were. If he did something like that, could you find it in your heart to forgive him?"

She pulled back, fierce. "I am his mother! There is nothing he could ever do that I wouldn't forgive. Nothing!"

"Exactly my point." He pulled her back in again. "You're able to forgive where she isn't. What can you do? She is who she is."

"I know," she mumbled into his chest.

"Must come from her father's side," he said, and just as he was hoping, she let loose with a little chortle.

"Baatar!"

He gave her another squeeze for good measure before letting her go. "Let me pour you a glass of wine and I'll even give you a foot rub. What do you say?"

She looked up at him, eyes reddened. "Why are you so damn good to me?"

He cupped her face in his hands. "Just a fool in love. What can I say?" He kissed both eyes gently, and smiled at her. 

"My fool," she murmured, and there went that bright, mischievous smile of hers that had knocked him senseless all those years ago.


	3. Coffee Shop AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not personally fond of either reading or writing AUs that take you completely out of the universe itself; I've never written any of my Avatar characters outside of the Avatarverse and have no plans to ever do so. 
> 
> I suppose I could try and manipulate one of the filthy rich Beifongs into working at a tea shop but it's already been done with Zuko and Uncle Iroh and I just don't see it happening for any of mine, not without basically going against all of my own headcanons. Well, it's my fanfic and I'll write what I want to, so here's what you get for this particular prompt!

"Ooooh, a blazing phoenix blend!" Ikki ran her finger along the line of text as she read. "A sweet black blend with hints of honey, bright ginger and a splash of lemon." She read very slowly, he noticed. In fact, it was the first time, in the three months they'd been traveling together, that he'd ever seen her read anything at all. That was odd: Ikki wasn't normally slow. She was a quick Little Bird in all ways. 

"What does that mean? A splash of lemon? Do they drop lemon into it?"

She shook her head. "No, it just means that it has some lemon flavor to it."

"They should just say that then."

"I can take this one."

He frowned. "You don't like lemon. You said before you don't like lemon."

She shrugged. "It's fine."

It wasn't fine. Ikki didn't like lemon. Why was she going to take tea that had lemon in it? "Take a different one."

"It doesn't matter."

His frown deepened into a scowl. "Everything matters." He leaned forward and scanned down the list posted to the counter. "Why not take the singing turtle one? It's green tea with mango. You like both green tea and mango." 

"Fine. That one is fine, then." Her face was starting to turn red. "I don't care." He opened his mouth to find out why she said what she didn't mean but she glared at him. He'd made her angry. Why was she angry?

"Don't you like green tea and mango?"

"Yes!" Her voice sounded funny, all tight and shrill. "Just leave it!"

"But-"

"Can't you ever leave anything alone?" And then, to his distress, his Little Bird burst into tears and ran out of the shop. He stood there, not knowing what to do. Should he stay? Should he go? Should he say something? Sometimes when people were angry they wanted apologies but usually he didn't know what to apologize for, which only made them angrier, so sometimes he just stayed away until they weren't angry any longer. His chest started to get that feeling he hated and feared, like someone was crushing it, and he tried to remember what Dad always told him, breathe in one two three, breathe out one two three, but the man behind the counter was staring at him and the man behind him in line was saying something and she didn't like lemon, why would she just take the first tea on the list when she didn't like it? He backed up, clumsy, nearly knocking into the man behind him, and pushed his way out of the shop, out into the air that smelled of salt and fish, the cloudy sky that had (a splash of?) a yellowish color to it, a storm coming in, he'd heard a woman saying earlier. Little Bird said that there were many storms when you were near the sea and she would know. Not that this was her sea. It was a different sea. He wondered, what did her sea smell like? And did the sky get yellow when a storm was coming?

His hands were moving and he let them, tried to let them ease the feeling in his chest. Where was his Little Bird? She wouldn't leave him here, would she? He looked around, in the light that was the wrong color, with the smells that his nose didn't like, and realized he didn't know where he was. Stop. A quarter turn. Look. Do you know where you are? No? Then another. Dad had taught him that, too, to stop and look where he was before running to find something familiar. On his third turn he saw the tea shop, and he knew that, so he went there, pressing himself against the side of the building. Little Bird would come. She would find him there.

The people here spoke out of the sides of their mouths and he didn't like it. He didn't want to hear it. He put his hands to his ears. Breathe in one two three, breathe out one two three. Little Bird. Little Bird. Little Bird!

"Huan, Huan." His eyes opened. His Little Bird was standing there, in front of him. Was she angry? He couldn't tell.

"You're angry at me."

She shook her head. "No, I'm upset at something that isn't your fault."

"Lemon in tea?" He wasn't sure. He didn't always like to ask because if he got it wrong then people often got angry but if he didn't ask then how was he to know? But Ikki only smiled.

"No, not that. Here, come on, it's noisy here, let's find somewhere quieter." 

He stumbled after her, profoundly grateful that she understood that the noise was too much. He reached out and touched her wingsuit; he didn't like it, the fabric felt wrong and too slimy under his fingers. But she had explained and showed him how it kept her safe in the air so he reminded himself that safety was more important than feel. Mom always said that and Mom knew all about safety. "I can't find the sky." That's not what he meant; he was trying to tell her that he didn't know where they were and was worried he'd lose her in the crowd but as happened so often, Little Bird understood.

"I won't lose you, I promise. You can hang on to me if you need to, it's okay." He grabbed at her elbow and put his head down, focusing on her feet, letting her take him along. Breathe in one two three, breathe out one two three. He did this until the sound stopped crashing into his ears and he heard the special grunt Blue made when they came back from being gone somewhere. Blue was smelly, but it was a smell he knew and was okay with, so he buried his face into her leg and she made that grunt again.

"I'm really sorry I yelled at you," Ikki said, and he risked a look at her. She didn't look angry any more but you could never be too sure. People's faces fooled him a lot.

"Okay." They were quiet for a time. His Little Bird was good about that, good about letting the world go back to normal even if it took awhile. "Did I make you angry with the lemon?" He pulled his head up. "I thought you didn't like it."

"No, it's not...it's not about the lemon. Which no, I don't like, you remembered correctly."

"Okay."

She sat down on a rock. Or more like floated; it fascinated him, how the air was always her friend when she moved. "It's um...see, it's really embarrassing."

"Lemons?" He was completely lost and he was afraid she would get angry again but she just laughed, that happy sound that bubbled out of her like the water from one of the little creeks at home. He liked her laugh. He wished he could make her do it all the time.

"No, I'm really screwing this up, aren't I?" She thought for a moment. "So the thing is that I can't read."

He frowned. "But you did read."

She scrunched up her face. "Right, no, I mean I can read. But not well. It's really hard for me, and it makes me feel stupid and that's embarrassing for me." She grimaced and rolled her eyes. "More like humiliating."

"Why is it really hard?"

She sighed, sliding her foot along the rock. "I don't know. It's always been like that. The words just don't want to stay still on the paper, they sort of move around." She jiggled her hands around to show him. "No matter what I do, I can't make them stop. And sometimes they go backwards. If I do have to read then I have to really concentrate and it gives me a huge headache and it's just...rotten. Really rotten." She frowned and her chin started to wobble. "Writing things down is hard, too. And I'm uh...kind of sensitive about it."

He nodded. This at least he could understand. "You know the words in my head don't always come out right. It's also really rotten." He looked down at his hands. "But Little Bird, you help me all the time. Why won't you let me help you? I can read." He shrugged at her. "The words stay on the paper for me. Reading and writing is easier for me than talking."

"Well, talking's easier for me than just about anything else," she said, and he laughed at how true that was, his chirping, chattering Little Bird.

"No kidding."

"Hey!" she said, but she was laughing too, and he thought it might be okay.

"Now I know, now I can help. Ikki's in charge of talking, Huan's in charge of reading and writing."

"You sure you don't mind?"

He watched her, bemused. "I just said I didn't. Why would I say it if I didn't mean it?"

"Okay, okay." Another one of her frowns. "And you don't think I'm stupid?"

He tilted his head to the side, watching the way the yellow light shaded half of her face. He wanted to paint it. "No. I know you aren't."

"You sure?" It was not like his Little Bird to keep asking the same question; he did that when he still didn't understand the answer so maybe she needed to understand as well.

"I do not think you are stupid, Ikki. I don't know why your head won't let you read, but I don't know why my head won't let me speak sometimes. But we can help each other. And that's enough, I think." She smiled at him then, that big smile that looked like the sunrise, her eyes pale gray like fog over the sea. Oh, he wanted to paint her, Little Bird, always in motion.

"Can I...can I give you a hug?" Her smile faded a bit. "I mean, not if you don't want to."

He thought about this. He had never actually hugged her before; he wasn't sure if it would feel right or strange or what. Hugging was one of those things, in his experience, that could go very right (like hugging Wu, for example, who smelled a little like flowers and whose skin was very soft) or very wrong (like his father's cousin, for example, who always wanted to hug him and smelled like old onions and scratched him with her long fingernails) but he thought he could try it. "Okay. I can hug you though, okay?" She nodded at that and he stepped up to her on her little rock seat and he wrapped his arms around her and she smelled a little like Blue but mostly like clean air and sunshine with just a bit of Ikki sweat and she was tall so he did not have to lean down like when hugging his mother or his sister. Which was nice. And then she laughed her little bubbling creek laugh and that was very nice as well. "You're good to hug," he told her, and then smiled. "Not at all like a splash of lemon in tea." She laughed some more and then hugged him back and he was very surprised that he didn't want her to stop.


	4. Road Trip

"Aang! Aang!" 

"Right in my ear!" Lin shoved at Su, not that it mattered. Su just rolled over and kept squawking.

"Aang!"

He turned around from his spot perched on Appa's neck and shaded his eyes with his hand. "What is it, Su?"

"I need to pee!"

Aang smiled. "Well, let's find a good spot and we'll take him down, we could all use a little break. Hang in there a minute!" He turned back to peer down at the ground below them, tugging gently on Appa's reins. 

"You just peed like an hour ago." She was pretty sure Su didn't actually have to pee; she was just bored and wanted to run around. What a pain in the ass.

"You gotta go when you gotta go," Su said, and stuck her tongue out, which she ignored to turn back to Tenzin.

"Anyhow, like I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted-"

"Hey Tenzin, do you wanna play I Spy?"

"Uh..." Tenzin glanced over at her. "I guess we could."

She leaned back onto the edge of Appa's saddle, crossing her arms and pointedly staring into the sky. Whatever. Tenzin could keep Su occupied, then, if he'd rather spend his time with her.

"Lin? Don't you want to play?" Tenzin's voice teetered and cracked, a relatively new development that seemed to be happening practically every single time he opened his mouth. She was glad it wasn't going to happen to her, was all she had to say about it.

"No. I don't."

"That's coz Lin's a poophead," Su sang out, but she ignored her. "Poopyhead Lin, poopyhead Lin!"

"Hey, I won't play with you if you're going to be mean," Tenzin said and Su shut up as Appa started a slow spiral down into a grassy glade in the middle of the forest. For whatever reason, Su would always do whatever Tenzin said. It pissed her off more than a little. Su wouldn't do a damn thing she said, even if her life depended on it.

Appa landed with a solid thud, huffing out a groan, leaning back on his hind legs to send the three of them in his saddle tumbling back, Su screeching for good measure. He looked pleased with himself, or as pleased as an air bison could look, anyhow. Aang thumped him, laughing, before floating down to land on the ground, Tenzin following him, the capelet around his shoulders flaring out. She and Su slid down Appa's side, Su landing right on her ass. Aang stretched a little as he looked around. "This looks like a good place to have some lunch, what do you say?"

"Lunch! Yes!" Su bounced up happily.

"Well, I tell you what, how about you go and fetch us some firewood, hmm?" Aang ruffled Su's curls. "Just an armful is enough."

"I can do it!" Su took off running for the trees, and Aang shook his head fondly after her.

"Go and keep an eye on her, would you, Tenzin?"

"Are you afraid something will get at her?" Tenzin frowned.

"More the other way around," Aang said with a chuckle, and Tenzin nodded once before jogging off in Su's general direction, most likely following the sound of her big mouth. "We don't actually need a fire but it'll keep her occupied for a bit, maybe get rid of some of that energy." Aang winked at her and she found herself grinning in return. "Now, would you mind bending us up a couple of seats?" She planted her feet and coaxed the stone up and out of the earth, leveling off the top and trying to make sure everything was even. When she'd finished Aang examined it before nodding at her. "Excellent work, Lin. You're really improving your fine tuning skills. These are nice and flat." She flushed under his praise, pleased.

"They aren't that good."

He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her down to sit. "See? You can feel it for yourself."

"I guess," she shrugged, but she felt like hugging herself.

Aang kept his arm around her, and she let her head rest against his shoulder. That was one of the best things about going over to the Island; everybody liked to hug over there. "You don't seem very happy to be going to your grandmother's," he said, and she kicked at the ground.

"I don't know."

"You seemed to have a good time last summer."

"Doesn't matter if I have a good time or not," she muttered.

"Why do you say that?" He was really asking, she knew, unlike most adults. If Aang asked you a question it meant he really wanted to hear your answer.

"Mom just wants to get rid of us for awhile, that's all. I'd rather stay on the Island."

He was quiet for a moment. "Is that how you feel about it?"

"It's true, so yeah."

"You know," he said, slowly, like he was thinking about what he wanted to say, "Your grandmother's a lady. A real lady, I mean. Nobility."

"Yeah, I know."

"And your mother, I think she wants you and Su to be able to have the advantages of that."

She sat up. "What do you mean?"

Aang pursed his lips. "Your grandmother can teach you and Su how to be ladies as well."

"I don't care about being a lady!"

He smiled at that. "Well, not at twelve, I don't suppose. Your mother certainly had no interest in being a lady at twelve, trust me." He sighed. "The thing is, Linnie, there would be advantages for you as an adult if you knew how to do all the things your grandmother can teach you."

"Like what, exactly?"

"How to behave in polite society, for lack of a better term."

"Are you saying my mother doesn't know how to do that?" She raised a single eyebrow. She was proud of that single eyebrow. She'd been practicing in front of her mirror for weeks.

"I'm saying that your mother doesn't know how to teach you to do that." 

"Huh." She thought about that for a minute. "Are you saying that's because she's blind?"

"Well, certain things might be more difficult for her to teach because of it, but not impossible, I don't think. Your mother doesn't really do impossible." He brought her close again and kissed the top of her head. "Your mother is a very good earthbending teacher and you and Su are going to be very good earthbenders one day, thanks to her. Metalbenders, too. You're already better than most adults as it is. But she has a certain way of teaching that isn't, shall we say, the most conducive to teaching the more polite arts."

"So what you're saying is that she can't teach me to be a lady by throwing a fan at my head."

He burst into laughter at that one and she couldn't help but join him. "That's pretty much what I'm saying, yeah." He gave her another hug. "But it's more than just fans and things, it's knowing how to talk to important people, to be diplomatic and negotiate, to hold your own with anybody in any situation while making a good impression. Those are useful skills for anyone to have."

"Yeah, those things are not really Mom's area."

"Well, she found other things more important, let's just say that. But she does want you and Su to have that training."

"How do you know?"

"We've discussed it, she and I. And Katara as well."

This surprised her. "Really?"

He nodded. "Really. She wants the best for you girls."

She wasn't sure if she believed that or not, but didn't feel like arguing it. "I don't think I'm going to be a very good lady."

"I think, Miss Lin Beifong, that you can be anything you want to be if you only put your mind to it. You are a very capable and determined young woman. I have all faith in you."

Her cheeks went all hot again. "Thanks, Aang."

"You're very welcome. Now what say that you build us up a little campfire spot here while I go and get the lunch Katara packed for us? If I don't start a fire after Su brings back that wood none of us will ever hear the end of it."

"You got it," she said, and jumped up to do what she was best at.


	5. Sound

It's a blistering, desperate slide down the side of the airship, Sokka clutching her as they plummet through emptiness, a wrenching jerk as he hits something but she keeps going, tumbling further, screaming as he manages to hold on to her hand and she hears the vicious snap and crunch of bone that's gone past its limit and then Sokka's voice, so full of torment, saying it's his leg and he tells her to hang on and she'll hang on as long as he tells her to, it's Sokka, but she can't feel anything but his hand in hers, his fingers digging in, the agony in her shoulder as she dangles ripping her apart, the air hot and smoky, there's fire, she feels it, coming from all directions, she can hardly breathe through it but she can't gauge how close it is, Sokka's wheezing is harsh and frantic and he's grunting and she thinks it might be from pain or maybe effort but she isn't sure and then she hears the faint whine of his boomerang, registers the cry of a man as he falls through the sky, like she might if he lets go _Sokka don't let go of me I'm afraid_ and she doesn't know what's below them and there's the sweet, labored grind of metal and Sokka shifts _Don't let me go_ and another man cries out and Sokka says something about his sword and her shoulder oh her shoulder, she's not sure how much longer she can hold on and as her hand starts to slip in his he tells her that he doesn't think Boomerang is coming back and he doesn't need to tell her he thinks it's the end because she knows by the tears in his voice, he sounds like he's given up but Sokka never gives up no matter what and she can't help it, she starts to cry as well because she's twelve years old and so very far from home and she doesn't know what's happening around her all she can hear is his rough inhalations and the muffled thump and hiss of an explosion, another airship going down probably, falling through space like she's sure she's going to and she's so afraid and then without warning he lets go of her _You let me go!_ and she's in the air, in the heat and there's a shrill creak of steel just before she hits something hard and she has no idea what they've hit or why but she feels him hit next to her and the anguished sound he makes when he lands on that bad leg will stay with her forever, she's still terrified and she asks him about Boomerang because she can't trust her own senses and his voice changes, the pain is still there but she can hear the relief in it, the joy, the warmth that threads its way through it as he tells her it's Suki.

It's always Suki.


	6. Kids

"Oh, so you think you can hide from me, hmm?" Suyin's excited little chortle made her fight back her own smile. "Better be careful, Baby Beifong, my feet are coming for you!" She stomped them hard, shaking the earth beneath her, feeling Su topple over. "I know you're here!"

Another giggle and then Su was up and running as fast as a four year old could; which was to say not all that fast. She was lighter on her feet than Lin had been at her age, however; every step Lin had ever taken, even as a toddler, was firmly rooted. Su was fast and flexible, but Lin moved with purpose, sure and steady. Although she'd been learning some moves from Tenzin, using her metalbending to spin and twist herself with cables, launching herself into the air where she couldn't track her. She'd never tell her, wouldn't want the kid to get a swelled head or anything, but Lin was damn good. Who would have thought to blend metal and airbending that way? Her Lin, that's fucking who.

Katara was always after her about it, though. _Toph, they're just little girls, they need affection and encouragement! Can't you see they're desperate for your approval?_

 _Can't see a damn thing, as it happens,_ she'd quipped, but Katara was unamused.

_They aren't your students, they're your daughters. If you don't praise them who will?_

It irritated the living shit out of her. No one had ever praised her and she was just fine, wasn't she? They were Beifongs; they didn't need coddling. She was going to be damn sure her girls would be able to handle anything and everything thrown their way. Her girls would never be quitters, never get put into a position where they'd be vulnerable to anything. Toughest girls alive, the Beifong girls. She'd see to it.

She pushed her toes into the dirt, feeling for Su; she was hiding behind one the boulders near the house. Her own mother was horrified by the state of the backyard but what the fuck use was a garden to a family of earthbenders? This way the girls could tear it up at will, strengthen their bending that way. If they wanted a garden they could always go across the street to the park they were in the process of building there. They were adding a turtleduck pond or some such shit. Although she had told the girls the new plum trees she'd had planted in front of the big windows in the back of the house were off limits. She liked plums.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," she called, just to hear Su giggle one more time. She shook the ground again, not enough to knock her over, just enough to keep her lively. Ah, there she went, heading towards the embankment Lin had built last week, scurrying across the damp soil and -

_nothing_

\- an empty space where Su had been, like she'd never been there at all. She tensed up, arms at the ready, before hearing Su's gasp of pleasure, moving through the air to the right of her, the hiss of those cables Lin had been fucking with cutting through the faint sound of construction from across the street. "Oh, that's how it is, is it?" She was grinning despite herself. "Think you're hot shit, that right?"

"Yep." She could hear the smugness in Lin's voice, headed towards the embankment and she waited, poised, for her to land. That kid! That amazing, fucking kid! The moment Lin touched down she sent her flying, only feeling Su again when she tumbled out of Lin's arms when they both hit the dirt.

"Trying to get past me, huh?" She strode across the yard, standing over the girls. "Where are you keeping those cables?" She could sense the metal, but couldn't quite make out how Lin was storing it.

"Sokka built me a thing," Lin replied. "Do you want to feel?"

She put her hand out and Lin took it, drawing it down towards her. There was a sort of pack, attached to her waist with a leather belt. "Platinum, huh?"

"Sokka said it's so I wouldn't accidentally bend the pack, too. This one's a prototype."

Her fingers found the opening in the front of the pack and she pulled on the metal within, drawing it out and letting it slide through her fingers. "So you form it as it comes out."

"Uh huh. And I can attach it around stuff and fly that way." Lin laughed. "Sokka says I look like a hog monkey, swinging through the trees."

She merely grunted at that, still testing the metal within. It was pure, not that she was surprised. Sokka would make sure her girls weren't in any actual danger. "How far can you swing?"

"Not that far yet. I'm still just learning." Lin's tone was defensive and she jabbed her in the shoulder with her finger.

"Can't learn any younger. You fall yet?"

"Yeah." Oh, and now the girl was getting sullen. 

"Well, keep at it. Your little boyfriend teaching you any hot moves?"

"Mom! Tenzin isn't my boyfriend!"

"Tenzin is your boyfriend, Tenzin is your boyfriend!"

"Shut up, you pain in the ass!" 

"You're a pain in the ass!" Su started to take on that whine she got when she wanted something. "I can do the cables, too! Mom! I want some cables!" She stamped her foot, probably trying to knock Lin over. Didn't work, but you had to give the kid points for trying. "Lin, I want to use the cables! Give it!"

"This is mine, not yours. Keep your hands off my stuff!"

"Mom!"

She brushed the two of them off. "Quit your yammering, I don't want to hear it. Su, if you want some cables then go and ask Sokka, I've got nothing to do with it." Not that Su wouldn't go and demand her own pack; that girl knew how to get whatever she wanted. Took after her grandfather that way. "Come on, let's go inside, see what we can find for dinner."

"Are you going to be home tonight?" Lin was hopeful, she could tell. Damn it. 

"Well, for a little while at least."

"Oh. Okay. I guess you're busy with work." Shit, that girl was the queen of all guilt trips.

"So tell me, hot stuff, you think you can make it as far as the house from here on those damn things?"

"Um...maybe?"

"Fuck your maybe! Are you a Beifong or are you a Beifong? Now, let me ask you again. You think you can make it as far as the house? While carrying your sister?"

"Yeah! Carry me! Carry me!"

"I can do it," Lin said, iron in her voice, and she smiled.

"That's my girl."


	7. Sports

She watched the two of them as she made her way down to the garden area they'd appropriated; her matched set, Wing with a rip in his tunic and Wei with a smear of mud that covered half his face, shouting at each other as a metal disc blasted through the sky, ricocheting off of a sort of goal post that, based on its stark, geometric tangle, had been made by Huan. She fervently hoped Huan had given his permission and that the twins hadn't just made away with it or there'd be hell to pay later.

"Missed!" Wei shouted, and Wing leapt into the air, foot connecting with the disc to send it right back again, slamming it through the goal this time.

"YES! I am the MAN!" Wing's arms shot up above his head as he took a victory lap, bowing at imaginary spectators. 

"The man, huh? Big talk for the baby of the family," Wei sniped and Wing launched himself onto him, the two of them dropping to the ground and rolling about like puppies. 

"Is this how you two treat our garden?" She put her fists on her hips and gave them a mock glare, laughing when they both sprung up, running for her.

"Mom! Mom!" Wing skidded through the mud as he reached her.

"Did you come to see our new game?" Wei wrapped his arms around her waist, grinning up at her.

"Of course I did!" She bent the mud off of Wei's face and leaned down to kiss Wing's forehead. "I'm all yours. How about you walk me through the rules?"

The boys grabbed her hands and pulled her along, bouncing and chattering, talking over each other and finishing each other's sentences the way they always did, Wing bubbling over with joy and Wei showing off. They'd clearly put a lot of thought into the game, describing how the arena for it would look, how they wanted the disc to use metal walls in order to pick up more speed and direction. She asked for clarification, gave some advice, examined the disc they'd put together, unobtrusively testing it for balance. She'd given it a toss into the air and connected her own foot to it; she'd been a hell of a kuei ball player in her day and could still pack a wallop, the twins cheering enthusiastically as her bending rocketed it past them into the goal.

She ended up playing with them, the twins making up one team and her the other, tearing up the grass, enjoying the feel of the mud in her hands. It'd been such a long time since she'd let herself really revel in her own element that way and she threw herself into it, leaving the concerns of the city behind her for the day, enjoying her boys and their enthusiasm. They finally ended in a heap together on the ground, a boy in each arm, resting their heads on her shoulders, happy and worn out, for once. 

"So I guess if you boys are going to really play this you need an arena, hmm?"

"Yeah, but where would we put it?" Wing asked, burrowing his nose into her. Trying to wipe some of the mud on it off onto her, the little terror. 

"Why not here?"

Wei sat up. "Seriously?"

Wing blinked at her. "But what about the garden?"

She shrugged. "Well, it's just ornamental anyhow, none of us spend any time in here, not like the one nearer to the house. I'd rather have something here that we actually use instead of something that only gets shown off to guests once or twice a year."

"But it'd have to be platinum though, right?" Wei was working it through. "Or else the disc would knock it out of shape all the time."

"Well, it's a good thing we know an architect who specializes in working with platinum, isn't it?"

"Really, Mom? Do you think Dad would?" The hopeful look on Wing's face pierced her heart. They were still so young, still thought the sun rose and set on their parents, hadn't yet come to the realization that parents were just people too, full of flaws and contradictions. That understanding would come sooner than later, she knew. But she'd take their unconditional love as long as she could get it.

"Oh, I know he would. In fact, knowing your father I think he'd quite enjoy the project." She sat up, bringing Wing with her. "But you'll have to write all your rules down and talk him through it. Dad doesn't bend and he'll need you to tell him what exactly you need the arena to do for you. Do you think you can do that?"

"We can do it, Mom!" Wing's eyes had nearly disappeared, his grin was so big.

"Junior can help too, can't he, Mom? He can do all that math you do with circles and stuff!" Wei grabbed her hand. "He even helped Wing and me with this disc!"

That surprised her. "He did?"

Wing nodded. "Yeah, we were trying to make one and it wasn't working and he saw us and came over and asked us what we were doing and-"

"-then got all of his stuff out and drew it out and then told us how to make it, helped us fix it." Wei finished. 

"Yeah, and Huan gave us one of his statue things to use as a goalpost, too."

Oh thank fuck for that. "Sounds like your brothers might get in on some of this building action then, hmm?"

"Yeah! That'd be so cool!" Wei's grin matched his brother's. "Like, the Beifong family disc game!"

She heaved herself up and pulled the boys up as well. "Oh, you two can come up with a better name than that, I know." She spun them around and gave them a little push towards the house. "But for right now, what do you say we head on back and get some lunch?"

"I'm STARVING," Wei bellowed, throwing himself back down on the ground and she laughed, prodding him with her boot.

"You're going to starve if you just lay there like that."

"Last one to the house is a rotten egg," Wing yelled and then took off at a run, Wei shouting as he sprung up, pelting after his twin, bending a gout of mud to smack him in the back, laughing wildly at Wing's sputtered protest.

"Don't you dare track any of that into the house!" she called after them, picking up the forgotten disc, smiling to herself.


	8. Colors

The worst part about being in what the master called "the hot box" was the fact that he was covered with sweat and couldn't take his clothing off. It wasn't safe to have bare skin around, not with molten glass like that. He hated the feel of his damp shirt sticking to him, although it was nothing compared the rivulets from his hairline that stung his eyes despite the scarf he'd wrapped around his hair and forehead.

He'd been told that the artisan who lived on the remote volcanic island didn't take students but he'd seen some of her goblets that looked like fire at the Firelord's palace and had been so taken with them that he knew he had to learn how to do it for himself. Earthbenders normally didn't work with glass but this made no sense to him, he could bend sand and what else was glass but that? So he told Ikki he wanted to go and ask the artisan to teach him and as always his Little Bird took him wherever he wanted to go. They'd showed up one afternoon and the artisan had come out to see an air bison in her courtyard, a happenstance which had managed to surprise the usually taciturn woman into actually speaking to them.

She had dismissed him once she heard what he wanted - she took no random students, only having two apprentices and a journeyman and in any case he was an earthbender, not a firebender - but he'd taken some of the sand from her beach there and had focused in his _qi_ the way Bolin had shown him to heat it and when the lava had cooled there was glass there, filthy and bubbled but glass, nonetheless.

"I want to understand how to make it live," he'd told her then, and she'd stared at him for what seemed an endless moment before nodding once, sharply, before walking back into her studio.

He and Ikki camped on the beach, Ikki spending her days doing who knows what while he was there in the smoke and heat, transforming the sand into something transparent and fragile. He wasn't able to regulate the temperature of the furnaces that drew from the heart of the volcano the way the firebending students were but he instantly knew when the glass was flawed; sensing what was fixable or what needed to be shattered into one of the many boxes kept around the workroom. The other students blew into long pipes and used molds to manipulate the glass but he was able to use his bending for that, gently coaxing shapes out of it the way he did with the chunk of meteorite that Grandma had given him all those years ago. His biggest problem was keeping the heat of the glass even enough to work with but as the weeks had gone by he'd continued to improve. Although using his _qi_ that way exhausted him, he'd crash into sleep every night without hardly saying a word to Ikki at all.

He wished Junior was around to make him furnaces that could be kept alight with a way to manually gauge the heat. He was sure his brother could do it; Junior was good with that sort of thing. But he couldn't think of Junior or else he'd lay in bed all day, not wanting to wake up, so he focused on the work.

The master had been introducing him and the younger apprentice to color, ground metals that oxidized with the hot glass to turn different shades. This excited him. She'd expected him to carefully measure the ingredients the way her other apprentices did but he had no need of that, he knew how much he'd need through his bending, thrilled by watching vivid crimsons and emeralds turn white hot before settling down into their tamer selves, some opaque and others more solid. If the glass was hot enough you could blend and mix the colors, layering different textures and creating shapes within shapes, endless possibilities. He started to play with it, doing some repair work for the few other residents of the island in trade for some metal, mixing it with colored glass, delighted with the rippling movement of the metal and the way the glass caught the light. One day, for fun, he made a series of brightly hued glass fish of all shapes and sizes, attached to whisper-thin cables, connected to a single metal disk. He thought that he could send it for Wu's little girl, the one that Yumi had given him. If Wu hung it above her bed it would circle and shimmer in the air, and he thought the baby might like that.

He had more difficulties with the lampwork beads and things that the master had the younger apprentice doing; those required a constant, steady small flame and he could only do it with assistance from a firebender. But he still managed to make some beads, in all colors of the rainbow, with varying shapes and textures, and those he strung on some cord to give to his Little Bird as a necklace and she wore them everywhere. They weren't anything like the bracelets he'd made her but he thought she liked them. Ikki herself was made of color and light, exquisite and strong, just like glass, and she liked to take the various pieces he was working on and look through them, her world colored azure or ocher or amethyst, her skin a patchwork when the sun shone back through them.

She was very beautiful, his laughing Little Bird.

He woke one morning knowing that it was time to move on; there was more the master could teach him, of course, but he understood now how to make the glass live and the rest he would learn on his own, the way he always did. As was traditional, he made a journeyman piece, something inspired by the jellyfish that were always washing up on the beach where they slept, steel and the palest of orchid and periwinkle, meant to glow and scintillate. He loved how light changed through colored glass, the patterns shifting as the day wore on. He'd been fascinated with the jellyfish that washed up on the shore, although Ikki had warned him not to touch them as they could sting. How could something that looked so delicate survive the rough depths of the ocean? He thought about the dichotomy of it all the time.

The master gave her approval to his piece, telling him that he had passed into journeyman status. He'd thanked her for everything and told her he was leaving; Ikki told him later that she thought the woman had been disappointed but he didn't know about that. He packed his jellyfish very, very carefully. He'd overheard his mother once telling his aunt that she missed the ocean sometimes and he thought she might like it. He hoped so, anyhow.

Ikki asked him, as Blue took air, circling the island one last time, if he thought he would miss the island. He would, but it was okay. He carried all the places he'd been in his mind, impressions of scent and sound, how the earth felt there and the taste in the wind that she'd taught him to reach out for.

"Where to next?" She was in her usual spot on Blue's neck and he sat in his usual spot, wrapped around her, bare feet dug into Blue's fur. He'd cut her overgrown, shaggy hair for her the week before and he liked the way its sharp, bobbed edges peeked out from the bright orange scarf she'd tied to keep it from tangling as they flew.

"I have the fish for Wu's baby. And then the jellyfish for my mother."

She leaned back into him and smiled. "Republic City it is, then. For a visit."

"For a visit," he agreed, and tightened his arms about her waist as Blue soared.


	9. Time Travel

She shifted slightly, trying to hold Wei as still as possible. "Mommy," he murmured and she pressed a kiss to the top of his head, hoping he'd go back to sleep. He smelled awful; Wing, curled up in Baatar's arms, smelled no better. She supposed she should be grateful they had at least gotten water to drink; hoping for any water to wash with over the days in their confinement was too much to ask, apparently. The twins had been so brave, so strong the entire time they'd been in there, stepping up to fight once they'd escaped, Wei coming for her after Kuvira had knocked her down, Wing holding steady to back them up with Lin. She was so proud of them. Wing, not surprisingly, had broken down once they'd left Zaofu behind; Wei almost immediately following, both of them exhausted and miserable. Sometimes it was easy to forget that they were barely sixteen. Yes, they were amazing benders; yes, they could handle themselves and more. But they were still so young. They still needed their parents.

They'd left Mom behind some hours back; she'd refused to come with them to Republic City. She should have known better than to even ask. It would never occur to her mother that maybe, just maybe, she could use some emotional support. Toph Beifong would show up whenever an asskicking was called for but a distraught daughter who needed comforting? Not Toph's thing. Never had been, never would be, she knew that. It'd been her own weakness to even ask.

She glanced over at her sister, sitting next to Huan. Lin had wrapped him in a blanket and was keeping a close watch on him although she kept her hands to herself. He hadn't spoken in days; had barely eaten and only then when Wing had coaxed him into a scant few mouthfuls. Spirits help her, but she was so afraid for Huan. Her gaze traveled to Baatar and he grimaced, the dark circles under his eyes and the sagging lines around his mouth making him look so old that she wanted to weep with it. It was in his nature to put a good face on everything but even he hadn't been able to rally them in that cage. All she wanted was to crawl into bed with him, feel his strong arms around her, but she knew it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

She felt Bolin before he spoke, crouching down next to her. "Can I get you anything? Water?" She could hardly see him in the moonlight but he practically radiated anxiety. She sighed.

"Bolin, Baatar and I don't blame you for any of this."

"I...I just..."

"It's all right, son," Baatar said quietly, hard to hear over the air rushing past. "You came and helped Opal and Lin rescue us, and for that we're very grateful."

"Yeah," Bolin said, and settled back down, not satisfied but willing to let it go for the moment. Fuck, but she was tired. Too tired to deal with any of Bolin's nonsense, that was for damn sure.

"Where are we heading, if I might ask?" Zhu Li had been silent for the most part of the journey but that wasn't unusual, in her experience. Not like anyone could get a word in edgewise with Varrick but the woman had always faded into the background. She'd never really been able to get much of a read on Zhu Li but she'd done more than the rest of them to try and stop Kuvira and for that she'd always have her respect.

"Air Temple Island," Lin said. "We need to let Tenzin know what's going on. And we can stay there as well."

"What about Raiko?" she asked and Lin snorted.

"What about him?" Lin pointed. "We're nearly there."

There, in the distance, was the glow of Republic City, spreading down the peninsula, crossing over two bridges that hadn't even existed when she was girl, creeping towards the mountains. How long since she'd approached the city like this, on an air bison, in the dark? She couldn't even remember, although both Aang on Appa and then later Tenzin on Oogi had taken her up more times than she could count. She'd been back to the city in those few years since she and Lin and reconciled but hadn't really realized the sheer sprawl of it, not like she could from this angle. "It's gotten so big," she murmured, and Lin scoffed.

"It's something, alright."

Opal brought Juicy down to land in the achingly familiar courtyard and she inhaled the scent of it gratefully, a heady mix of salt and pine, the electric lights a welcome change from when she was a girl. There hadn't been electricity on the Island then. She didn't have time to wonder as to who had been responsible - Aang or Tenzin? - before a familiar voice rang out across the night. "Opal! There you are!"

"Tenzin, I've got my family," Lin called, and there he was, still with that habitually worried expression on his face.

"Lin! We'll need to-"

"Not now," Lin said, shooting him a look, and he subsided. "Kuvira had them caged up all this time. The boys are in pretty rough shape."

"Of course," he said, frowning. "How can I help?"

"Wei, sweetie, wake up. We're here." She shook him as gently as possible. "Wake up."

His eyes fluttered open. "Are we home?"

"We're on Air Temple Island. In Republic City."

He blinked, confused. "An island?"

"Air Temple Island. I grew up here, remember?" He nodded but she wasn't sure how much he was processing. "Come on, let's get you down from Juicy." He half-crawled over the edge of Juicy's saddle and then Tenzin was there, easing him over the side with his bending, making sure he was steady on the ground before he let him go.

"Hello there, young man."

"I'm Wei," he mumbled, used to people not knowing which twin he was. He'd met Tenzin a few times but it took considerably more than that for most to be able to tell the two of them apart. One of the reasons she'd always used circles for him and triangles for Wing. Not that they had any of their metal on them now.

"Well, Wei, let's get you and Wing into the house, hmm?" Tenzin put a hand to his shoulder as he helped Wing down as well. "I'm sure we've got something for you to eat."

Both boys perked up a bit at that. "I'm pretty hungry," Wing said, and Tenzin smiled, echoes of his mother, and to her horror her eyes started to fill. She'd give her entire city just to have Katara there, wrapping her into her soft embrace, stroking along the back of her head the way she always had whenever she'd been upset about anything.

"I'm sure you are. Right this way." He gave Lin a look over his shoulder and she nodded and held up a finger, letting him know she'd be along. Another adult airbender showed up at that point; she wasn't sure who he was but Opal seemed to know him, agreeing to let him take Juicy to the stables as she used her own bending to help a stiff Zhu Li to the ground. Baatar and Lin were trying to convince Huan to get off of Juicy without much success; she had to draw on the last of her own strength before trying to shake out her legs in order to climb over the saddle. Suddenly, Bolin was there, a neat staircase bent out of stone. He put a hand out for her and she took it, managing to dredge up a weary smile for him. She looked over, questioning, and Baatar gave a little wave.

"Go on, I've got Huan."

She nodded and made her way down the steps, trying to ignore the pins and needles in her feet, finally moving after so long in the air. She knew she'd need to pull herself together, go inside, and give a report, but she was so drained, so afraid for her boys, so heartbroken about her city, that all she wanted to do was cry. But Beifong girls always held their shit together, so she forced herself to stretch out her legs and feet and make her stumbling way towards the main house, chin held high, determined to see it through. Everyone was depending on her and she couldn't let them down. 

"Susi." Outside of her husband there was only one other person in the world who could get away with calling her that and he pulled her in and held her close. "You look like something a mean, drunk hog monkey shit out its asshole."

She couldn't help herself, she started to laugh. "Oh, Bumi." Aang had always referred to them as the bookends; the oldest and youngest of the Republic City next generation, Bumi already seventeen when she was finally born. They'd always adored each other, however, delighting in and encouraging each others' mischief and fun. Bumi had given her candy, played willing ostrich horse with her on his back, made her a priority when he was on shore leave, teasing her and letting her wear parts of his uniform. It had been Bumi who had shown up when things started to go south on the pirate ship she'd so foolishly thought was going to be a fun adventure; Bumi who had told his superiors that she'd been a captive instead of a stupid girl who thought she had something to prove, making sure she wouldn't be tossed into the brig with the rest of them. He'd put her ashore, had given her some money and told her to stay out of trouble but to send for him if she needed him. He'd visited Zaofu when it was in its infancy, shown up to her wedding, made sure he came each and every time her children had been born, wrote her letters and, as always, made her laugh. 

He directed her into an alcove and handed her a bottle. "Here. Fortifications."

She took a few grateful swallows of the whiskey, letting it warm her as it went down. "Are you even supposed to have booze on this island?"

He gasped at her in faux-offense, hand to his chest. "Medicinal purposes!" He tugged at one of her curls, just like he'd always done from the time she was a tiny girl. "You're going to need it, Tenzin's already passed off the twins to Pema and is in his whole Tenzin's in charge mode."

She nodded, closing her eyes, taking one last gulp before handing the bottle back. "Fuck, I'm tired." She could admit this to Bumi. Like her husband, she knew he'd never take advantage of her vulnerability.

"Are the boys okay?"

"The twins are done, but give them a few meals and some decent sleep and they'll rally. Huan..." she swallowed and the tears came, despite her best effort to keep them at bay. Bumi understood, however.

"We'll take good care of him here, Susi. He'll be okay, he just needs some peace and quiet, right?" Bumi had never judged Huan. "What about Junior?"

Now the tears started to pour. "We've lost him, he's..." she struggled to get the words out, putting her hands to her cheeks. "He's made some sort of weapon, some sort of spirit energy weapon for her and I don't know how we'll stop it or her." Bumi took her back into his arms as she sobbed. "I kept thinking, he'll come to his senses, he'll stop all of this, he loves us, we're his family, but we were in that cage and he just left us there to rot, left us to make a killing machine for her and I've lost him, Bumi, I've lost him."

He rocked her back and forth gently. "I don't believe it. He's hurt, he's angry, and he's blaming his family for all of it. Sound familiar?" At her gulping sob at that he pushed her back far enough so he could look her in the eye. "He's so yours, Susi. You weren't any different. You were just younger and alone. Have faith in him. Don't give up on him. Don't cut him off." He pulled her back then. "He'll come around, wait and see. When he does he'll need you. You're the queen of second chances, remember?"

"That's because you gave me a second chance," she said, trying to get herself together.

"And that's what you'll do for him," he replied, using the arm of his wingsuit to wipe her face, like she was still a child. "Now take another hit off this bottle and go and deal with my brother. And in the morning come and talk to me and we'll see what we can do about all of this mess, okay?" He handed her the bottle again, watched her take a final swallow and took her face into his hands. "Buck up, Susi. We'll figure it out."

She took in a deep breath and let it out forcefully, nodding crisply. He nodded in return, letting go of her. "I'm okay. I'll be fine."

"You always could fake it with the best of them," he replied, squeezing her shoulders and then turning her around and walking her into the house. "That's my girl."


	10. Dark AU

It was carnage by the time she was finished.

She was on her hands and knees in the dirt, breath sobbing in and out of her, barely acknowledging the rents in her clothing, the burn across her hand where a careless cable had slid too quickly, her hair hanging into her eyes, a muscle in her lower back spasming, a testament to her loss of control. She had no idea where any of the fucking air acolytes had gone and didn't much care, either. Tenzin had taken her away, his own precious fucking acolyte - that little meadow vole of a woman! - when he'd come down to the station, finally angry, demanding her release. _You can do what you want to me but you can't just abuse your power on innocent people,_ he'd roared, sending paperwork flying as officers had grabbed for anything not bolted down. _You have no right!_

Right? Right? What right did he have, after all these years, to show up at her door and tell her that it was over? And not only that it was over but that she was being replaced by some pretty-eyed soft child who had batted her lashes and promised to be his broodmare? Years she'd given him everything she had to give, years! He'd thrown it all away, thrown her away, like so much fucking trash.

What was left for her? Who was left for her?

"Leave it to a Beifong to destroy an entire island." Katara sighed, looking around her as she approached. "You could have at least left the trees around the courtyard standing."

She stared up at her, numb and mute, unable to speak through the devastating weight in her chest. What was Katara doing here? She was supposed to be down south.

"Oh, Lin." Lowering herself, Katara took a seat on the ground next to her. "Who's going to clean up this mess, hmm?" She shook her head. "He's not worth it."

She took in a deep, shuddering breath, her voice hoarse. "He's your son."

"He is," Katara agreed, arranging her skirt as she crossed her legs. "And I love him, very much. But he handled this badly." Her mouth thinned. "He handled it like his father. Which is to say, drop it and run and let everyone else deal with the aftermath." She gestured around her. "He won't be dealing with this entire mess. He asked me to come up and meet Pema and waited until I got here to break up with you. He's taken Pema off somewhere on Oogi. Until you cooled down, or so he told me." She nodded towards the ground. "Take a seat."

She rocked herself backwards, wincing at the pain in her back. Katara caught it, of course. "We'll do some healing on that."

"Sorry," she ground out, but Katara merely gave her a weary smile.

"One day, probably, but not now." They sat for a time in silence as she tried to get her breathing under control, trying to calm down for Katara's sake. She was in her seventies now, still strong, still limber, still slender, despite three children. She hadn't seen her in nearly five years, not since Aang had died and she'd relocated back down south.

"Do you miss him?" she blurted, before she'd even realized she was going to say anything. "Aang, I mean."

Katara knew who she meant. "Oh, I do. We'd known each other for so many years, had three children together, built a life together. I still miss him, Lin." Without looking at her she continued, voice even. "I made up my mind four years ago, though. I'm not here to stay." At her sharp intake of breath Katara continued. "Don't get me wrong, I'll stay long enough to see Tenzin married and Pema established. She's efficient but she's young, the more senior acolytes might not accept her at first, I'll do what I can to get her situated. But once I do I'm going back home."

"Home?"

Katara turned to look at her at that point. "Down south. That's where my home really is. I only stayed here for Aang's sake. I don't hate Republic City but it's never been my home."

She didn't know what to say to that so she was silent, not knowing what to do with herself as Katara gazed at the shattered remains of the temple. She'd brought it down without any problems at all; she might not be a broodmare but she was a Beifong. A mere temple wasn't even a challenge. 

"You know, Lin, I married Aang when I was twenty years old. He was eighteen. We were young but it was what everyone expected us to do. I helped him build this new temple, I supported him while he built a new city, a new nation. I gave him three children, and I took care of his temple and his acolytes and his children while he traveled the world, doing what was necessary for the Avatar to do." 

"Wasn't that the dream?" She didn't bother to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"It wasn't my dream, no." Katara was unflinching. "I had wanted a family, but not like this, not here, in this raw, ugly city, with a husband that rarely had time for me."

"What are you trying to say to me?" 

"I am trying to say to you that I loved my husband, very much. But I was never in love with him, although it took me years to realize the difference. And I know you love my son, but you've never been in love with him, either. I know you're angry and you're hurt and I don't blame you for that, although I do wish you hadn't bent this place apart."

"I'll help fix it."

"You're damn right you will," Katara said, and shot her a look over that. "But my point stands. You were never in love with Tenzin. It's just that the two of you fell into the expectations everyone had for you, and that included Aang." Her smile was sad. "I think he had high hopes over that, that the two of you would get married. But you're thirty-eight now, Lin, and Tenzin's thirty-nine. If you were going to do it, you would have done it already. It's really that simple."

"Is it?"

Katara's eyes narrowed. "For the two of you? Yes. It is. There's been nothing stopping you, but it never happened. Be honest with yourself, Lin. You don't want this life, living on the Island, raising children, supporting Tenzin, directing the air alcolytes and seeing to the future of the air nomads. You'd be miserable." She reached out then, putting a hand to her arm. "You know I'm right. Deep down, you know it." She patted her and then took her hand back, sighing. "I don't regret my children. It's not even that I regret my marriage, although I do regret the fact that I allowed myself to live a deeply unsatisfying life for it. I love you like a daughter, Lin. I don't want you to be unhappy and unsatisfied in your life. And staying in this relationship with Tenzin, it wasn't making either of you happy."

"We could have been happy!"

"But you weren't." Katara's eyes softened. "I know you tried. He tried as well. But you can't force it. Pema seems like a very nice girl, and she wants this life." She gestured around them. "She came here specifically for this life. And I think, based on what I've seen, that she really is in love with Tenzin." She chuckled. "She took on a Beifong for him, Lin. If that's not love, then what is? If nothing else, you have to respect her for that."

"Not really."

"Well, not now, I suppose."

She raised a hand and sent a few rocks bouncing across the ruined courtyard. "Do you think he loves her?"

Katara, as always, was direct. "Yes. I do. She's a little younger than what I'd expected but I believe he's really in love." 

She wept, then, tears sliding through her fingers as she covered her face, only sobbing harder when Katara wrapped her arms around her, drawing her head down to her shoulder and stroking the back of her head, just like she had when she was a child.


	11. Whump

It had taken four of them to hold him down, at least he could say that. They hadn't expected resistance; they'd thought that it'd only take one to gut him, the pampered rich boy, done and done. But his mother had taught him to defend himself and his fiance _ex-fiance, your ex-fiance you puling excuse for a man_ had forced him to toughen up and he'd already survived one attempted murder via the world's most powerful weapon _murder fiance_ so what was a shiv made out of a sharpened toothbrush to him?

Nothing to him. Fucking nothing at all.

He fought back as they closed in; broke the leader's jaw with a powerful upwards kick and shattered the nose of the guy grabbing him from behind, doled out plenty of bruises and cuts before they managed to keep him still enough for the shiv to come his way and even at that he managed to wrench his arm free and take the stab that was meant for his heart into the meat of his arm above his elbow.

It hurt. On a positive note it didn't hurt worse than getting flogged with metal cables, although the prison doctor was drunk when he stitched it up and didn't do the best job of it. He was guessing that avoiding scars wasn't one of their top priorities here. He managed to keep it from getting infected, so at least there was that.

They didn't break his glasses, which is what he'd really been afraid of. He wasn't sure, if they were broken, if they'd be replaced. The idea of twelve years spent in blurred half-blindness terrified him.

He got thrown into solitary for it, never mind that he'd acted purely in self-defense. He didn't actually care. Solitary meant that everyone left him the fuck alone, including his cellmate who was getting some bright ideas about nightly activities that he'd had to put a stop to as well. He sat there, in the mostly dark, on the thin, narrow cot, thinking of nothing, feeling nothing, being nothing. Nothing.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been in there. The days ran together and he let them. They brought him food sometimes; sometimes the light from the single slot in the door changed. He didn't have a razor and his beard grew. The doctor showed up a few times to check on the arm. He didn't know. He didn't care.

They came, two guards, and shackled his hands together, dragging him out into the hall, not speaking, along several corridors and into a room with several metal tables and chairs. Nonbending prison, metal was fine here. His aunt was sitting at one of them, scowling; when she saw him her eyes flashed and she stood up, anger apparent in the vicious slash of her mouth. The guards sat him down and she spoke to one of them, voice taut with rage, but it'd been so long since he'd heard any voices he couldn't seem to focus on hers. He couldn't seem to focus on anything.

She sat back down across from him and he found his own voice, husky and unfamiliar. "If your glasses get broken in here, do they replace them?"

She stared at him. "What?" He just returned her stare, mute, until she threw up a hand in exasperation. "Of course they do. This is a prison, not a fucking re-education camp."

He nodded once, to show he'd understood.

"You've been in solitary for a month after getting stabbed and that's all you can say? You're worried about your glasses? What the fuck, Junior!" 

He stared down at down at his hands. "Hello."

"You think this is a joke?"

He looked up at her. "The man. Who stabbed me. He said, tell your cunt aunt the police chief hello from me. So. Hello."

His aunt's mouth dropped open and she sputtered at him but he wasn't interested in that. He waited, staring back down at his hands, for the guards to take him back to his original cell. He had a different cellmate now. He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. 

"What day is it?"

"Uh, fourth day of Cranefish month. So uh, you've been in solitary, right? Heard you took down Big-Tooth Takaki, huh? He's a real son of a bitch, that guy, real mean fucker. You broke his jaw, right?"

Fourth day of Cranefish month.

Four thousand, three hundred and twenty four days left to go.


	12. Dreams

She was sitting in the lotus position in front of the windmills, serene, eyes closed, hands graceful. Most people would assume that Master Ikki, the venerated head of the Northern Air Temple, was meditating.

He knew better.

"So what's it this time, thinking up dirty jokes?" He grinned as she opened one eye to shoot him a look.

"Excuse you, I'm meditating."

"Oh really." He sat down next to her and reached over to squeeze what he could reach of her ass through her wingsuit.

"You are disturbing my sacral chakra," she intoned in a lugubrious voice and he slid his hand around her hip and pulled her closer.

"I'd like to."

She giggled at that before opening both eyes. "The last time we tried to bump sacral chakras up here we got interrupted and I was already missing the top part of my wingsuit."

"Don't remind me." Privacy was a rare and precious commodity up on this damn mountain. He could kiss her without causing too much of a scandal, though, and so he did.

"So hey, since you're here-" she interrupted herself to frown. "Wait, why are you here, by the way?"

"Ah, that damned laundry machine threw a gear again and Kwan went to go and fix it. I told him to just kick off work when he was done."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, are you telling me that Baatar Beifong Junior of the Zaofu Beifongs actually cut short a work day by an entire fifteen minutes?" She pressed a hand to her forehead and pretended to faint. "The world must be ending!"

"Ha ha and ha," he said, and kissed her again. "You're hilarious."

"I know, right?" She laughed, and snuggled up into him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I actually was thinking about something that concerns you, so your timing was excellent."

"We aim to please," he replied. Once he would have gone into an anxious spiral wondering what she was thinking about him - he'd always assumed the negative - but he'd been enough years with her now that he knew better. "So what concerns me?"

She twisted herself until she was laying down, head in his lap, looking up at him. "Well, here's the thing. Yung has his mastery now, right? He's already teaching some of the little ones and he's good at it. Chantin's doing well with her studies and she can help him out."

"Okay." He wasn't sure where she was going with this but he waited her out.

"No question that Bora can keep up the day to day up here, Tadayo as well."

He nodded. "No argument there."

She took a deep breath. "Goba's thirteen and Katara'll be six next month." He bit back the sarcastic reply that was trying to bubble out with regards to knowing how old his children were and merely nodded. "So I was thinking...what if we took a trip?"

He frowned. "You mean go and visit your parents?"

She shook her head. "No. Well, I mean, yes, that too. Yours too, while we're at it, of course. But I mean travel." She waved her hand about. "You know. The world."

"Travel the world?"

She sat up and moved to face him. "Exactly. Like Huan and I did. Just sort of go where we go, when we go. Visit the Poles, the Fire Nation, the other Temples, the Ba Sing Se desert, wherever."

"Ikki, we can't just up and leave like that."

She laughed. "I'm an airbender, in case you forgot. You know, Air Nomads? We weren't the Air Stay In One Spots, after all." She grabbed his hand. "Don't get me wrong, I know we're the Air Nation now but that's just because there's not enough of us. Way, way back when my grandfather was a boy the airbenders spent most of their lives wandering."

"Be one with the leaf, huh?" He smiled to show her he was teasing, and she returned it. 

"Or something like that." She cupped his cheek with her hand. "What do you think?"

"I don't...I don't know, I mean, I have things to do up here..." he trailed off as she tapped his nose. "What?"

"Do not take this the wrong way, but you are never without things to do. And by never I mean never ever." Her smile was wistful. "All you do is work, work, work."

"I don't think that's true." He tried not to be offended. 

"It is the truest thing in the entire world. And listen, I love your work ethic, I mean, there would be no temple without you and everyone knows it. We all do. But Baatar," and here she caressed his cheek, "you're going to burn out. You're already on your way. You don't spend enough time with the kids and the last time we went down to Republic City you spent the entire time working."

"Ikki-"

"You were working on Blue, Baatar. You sat there in the air and ignored me and the kids and Huan to work." She sighed. "How many times have you told me that your Dad always worked too much? And here you are."

He stared at her, this woman who had changed his life. She would be 31 this autumn; still so very young and vibrant, full of humor and compassion. Temper too, to be fair, although he not so secretly loved her temper as well. He knew how much she'd loved her travels with Huan, how much she'd sacrificed when she cut her wandering days short to rebuild the temple. "What about Katara? Goba would love it, I know, but she might have some trouble."

"I know, I did think about that. But I handled Huan traveling and I think, between the three of us, we can keep her stable. As long as we aren't asking too much of her, you know? And Huan thrived, you know he did."

"I just worry."

She kissed him then, a slow, deep kiss, sweet enough to make him catch his breath. "Worrying's your job. I leave it in your expert hands." Another kiss and he was beginning to think the air acolytes could just be scandalized, then, when she pulled back. "Will you at least think about it?"

"Did you speak to Huan yet?"

She shook her head. "I wanted to run it by you first. Huan will want to go, I'm sure of it."

He knew she was right; Huan also needed stability but he often spoke longingly of those years the two of them had traveled together. "You sure you want me to go along? I'm the original stick in the mud." He tried to make a joke out of it but it fell flat. He was, too often, the one saying _no._ He'd been taking on that role since he was a boy and sometimes even he wearied of himself.

"I won't go without you," she said, and shrugged. "That's all there is to it. I couldn't stand to be away from you that long for one thing and for another? I want to experience the world with you, Baatar. I want to go new places and see new things and share those memories with you. I don't want to look back when we're old and have regrets for the things we didn't do or try. Can you understand that?"

That severe voice that was always in his head clamored at him _This is a mistake, you can't just do that, you have responsibilities, people depend on you, what about your life up here_ but he ruthlessly shoved it away. He was forty-one years old and he'd never, in his entire life, done a single, solitary impulsive thing. Maybe it was time. Or at the very least he'd make it time. He nodded, swallowing past the sudden ache in his throat. "Okay." 

She blinked. "Okay what?"

"Okay, I'll go."

"You'll...are you serious? Don't you need to think about it for two months or something, do one of your pro and con lists?" Her eyes had widened and she bit her lip.

He smiled. "No. You want me, I'll go. Simple as that." Could it be that simple with her? If he allowed himself, it could. He wasn't a simple man but nothing was simpler than that. "We'll talk to Huan and make whatever arrangements we need to make up here." She let out with a shriek they probably heard in the village and tackled him backwards, throwing herself down onto him, kissing him as he laughed and wrapped his arms around her, severe voice in his head be damned.


	13. Feelings

"Can I talk with you? If you got time." 

Qi had materialized next to her car. Uncanny how she - no, _they_ , the kid didn't like being called she or even he, going back and forth until LoLo had started using they, which Qi seemed to be content with - uncanny how they could sneak up the way they did. It took a fuck of a lot to surprise a Beifong, but Qi had managed it more than once. They'd obviously needed to stay hidden as a small child, which was something she'd found herself wondering about every once in awhile. Whatever kind of beginning it was, it'd been a rough one, that much was clear. "I've always got time for you. What do you need?"

A quick nod and an even quicker glance up to where their rooms were above the garage. They wouldn't ask her to go up there; Qi rarely asked for anything, in fact, something she'd noticed and LoLo had corroborated. Whatever they wanted to talk to her about had to be pretty fucking important, then. "Well, let's get some privacy before Naoki finds us. Am I going to get a cup a tea out of it?" They flashed one of their rare grins, transforming their face into something warmer and a hell of a lot younger. 

The only one of them who'd been up there, as far as she knew, was LoLo, although she was sure Wu was dying of curiosity. There was a small kitchenette and a living room, all of it neat and scrupulously clean. Not that she was surprised: she'd seen how carefully they kept up Wu's car, washing it daily, making sure the inside was as tidy as the outside. They gestured her to the sofa and went to put on water to boil for tea, pulling out a beautiful, delicate tea service. Now, where had they gotten that? It had flowers on it, the colors soft and blooming. Expensive, too, unless she missed her mark.

"Where'd those come from?" she asked, and Qi glanced up.

"Bought 'em with my first pay." They gave that little one-shouldered shrug before sorting through the tea leaves and putting them into the pot, their hand motions a mix of what she recognized as LoLo's brisk efficiency and their own natural grace. Qi possessed a great deal of poise; what she'd once heard Wu refer to as aplomb, which pretty much nailed it on the nose. Of all the things she would have thought a freshly turned fourteen year old off the streets would buy with their first paycheck, a tea service was not even close to being on the list. Which went to show that none of them really knew Qi at all. She waited, as the water heated and Qi poured it over the leaves, bringing the pot and two of the paper-thin cups to the low table in front of the sofa. That, at least, she was pretty sure was Wu's choice; the room was furnished in his preferred pallete of greens and creams, with darker wood. She wondered, as she waited for the kid to speak, what colors Qi would have chosen for themself?

"So I..." Qi broke the silence finally, fiddling a bit with one of their cups. "Uh...you said I could talk to you if I reckoned I needed." A swallow. "Bout girl things."

Ah, so there it was. "Of course," she said, keeping her tone neutral. "How can I help?"

Qi's face began to take on color as they struggled for words, fingers clutching at the cup. She reached over and gently took it out of their hands before they broke it.

"Is it your period?" A guess, but obviously the right one as Qi visibly startled, and then nodded, eyes downcast. "So I take it you've finally gotten it?" They were sixteen now, and it was a little late for it, but they'd been malnourished when they came to the house and it'd taken awhile before LoLo's regimen of nutritious food and some tonics he'd discreetly gotten from a healer began to finally fill them out. Qi had actually grown an inch or two and while they were still thin she suspected that was just in their nature. "So what do you need? Practical advice? Do you have supplies?" She grimaced. "In my day we used rags but thank fuck for innovation, hmm? They've got those new pad things you can buy. Wish they would have had them when I still had use for them, I'll tell you that much." She risked a hand to their arm; Qi didn't move away, so she left it there. Like offering comfort to a wild thing, but wasn't that what Qi was? "I'll help you, whatever it is."

Qi swallowed again, that hoarse voice of theirs even raspier than usual. "I went to the market but I..." they hung their head, face flushing an ugly brick.

"Do you need me to come with you, help you read what the boxes say?" Oh damn it anyhow, the poor kid nodded again and then started to cry. "Qi, it's fine. I'm happy to do it. We can go after we have our tea." They nodded quickly, but the tears weren't stopping. "What is it? You know what periods are, right? Why we get them and all?" They nodded again and then a quiet sob escaped. Well, fuck. Where was that damned LoLo when she needed him? She didn't know a fucking thing about crying teenagers. Qi sobbed again, looking so miserable that she didn't stop to think about what she was doing, just gathered them up into her arms, the way she'd always done for Su when she cried, drawing them close. She wasn't sure which of them was more startled when Qi buried their head into her chest, her arms automatically tightening around them. "Alright then, get it out of your system." She patted at their back a little awkwardly, wishing she was better at this. Su would have known what to do; she'd raised five damn teenagers, after all. Ah fuck. Maybe she ought to write her and ask for some advice. Not that Su wouldn't give her a ration of shit over it, of course. But she'd help if she could.

"Can you tell me what the problem is?" She was better at solving problems than emotions, that was for damn sure. She waited for Qi to get it together, figuring they'd pull away. They didn't, though, still resting against her chest. She wasn't sure which of them was more bemused by this.

"Just..." Qi's voice could hardly even be termed a whisper at this point. "Just...I ain't a girl today. And...then this come and...it's makin' me a girl."

She wasn't sure she completely understood where Qi was coming from when they talked about their gender like this, but it wasn't about her understanding, after all. It was about theirs. "And this feels wrong?" Qi nodded vigorously into her chest. "Well, periods come when they come, fuck knows it's never about convenience." She snorted. "If you ever want it to show up, plan a romantic evening. That'll guarantee it, right there." That got her a tiny little huff of laughter. She moved her hand to the back of Qi's head, stroking along the curve of their skull. Their hair had a bit of texture to it; she wondered, now that it was clean and properly cut, if it would curl if they let it grow. She sighed. "Well, Qi, there's not much you can do about it coming, but I know you know that. I don't know if it helps, but mine always felt like a betrayal to me, too."

Qi sat back a bit at that to gaze at her. "It did?"

"It did. I never wanted children and it felt like a monthly judgement on me. A punishment, even. Like...do your duty as a woman and procreate!" She scoffed. "I wasn't sorry when all of that bullshit stopped, let me tell you." She took their chin in her hand. "Qi, I doubt there's anything I can say to you to help with this...well, betrayal, I guess, yes?" Qi nodded. "It's going to happen, and it's going to be happening for another good thirty-five years or so. All I can tell you is that you're going to have to face it and come to terms with it yourself. Which probably isn't helpful in the moment, I know. But when I finally came to peace with my decision not to become a mother then my periods stopped hurting me." She grinned. "Well, beyond the usual cramps, that is. But you can take a tonic for all of that shit." She ran her thumb along their jaw. "You understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

They nodded. "Reckon so." A frown. "But it don't feel no better right now."

She smiled. "I wouldn't expect it to. But-" and here she gave their chin a sharp tug "-I expect you to come and talk to me about this again if you need me. For any reason whatsoever. Are we clear on this?" They nodded again. "Good. And now our tea's cold. But I tell you what, let's go to the market, get you what you need, and then afterwards I'll take you out for some ice cream. My treat."

"Ice cream?" Qi's brow furrowed skeptically.

"Beifong cure-all for all that ails you. Family tradition." Before she realized where the impulse was going to take her, she'd leaned forward and kissed Qi's forehead. Fuck, but she was getting sentimental. What the hell was wrong with her? "Come on, now. You go get yourself cleaned up a bit, wipe down that face, change out whatever you're using - rags, I take it? Yeah, no need for that, we're in modern times now. I'll just wash out your teapot for you while you do that, and we'll go."

"I'm drivin'?" Qi asked, giving her another one of those elusive grins.

"I don't know, are you?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"Reckon I am," Qi said, standing up and giving it a bit of a swagger as they headed over to their bedroom. She smiled to herself as she picked up the tray.


	14. Fairy Tale

**CHAPTER 359**

The moon was a glowing white orb in the deep black sky, lighting up the ~~nut brown~~ ~~medium brown~~ beautifully dusky skin of the ~~beautiful~~ breathtaking Jade Baofung, making her pistachio-colored eyes twinkle. She wasn't a bender, but that had never mattered to the bold, handsome Nuktuk, Hero of the South.

"The moonlight becomes you," Nuktuk said, before he started to strip off his furry vest. 

"Thank you," Jade remarked.

"Please excuse me while I disrobe," Nuktuk mentioned. 

"I won't look," Jade insisted, but she lied. He had a very manly chest and she couldn't stop herself from gazing at its ~~manliness~~ sexiness. It was slightly hairy but not too much because that would be just gross.

"I cannot use my bending or else the evil villainess, the cold-hearted Tundra will sense me," Nuktuk explained.

"I understand, but aren't you cold?" she replied.

"No, never. Under all of this muscle beats the true heart of a Waterbender. We are never cold," he told her.

"Lucky you," she declared. 

"Please don't look, Miss ~~Beifong~~ Baofung, it isn't seemly for a beautiful girl like you," Nuktuk declared, and then started to take off his shorts.

"Oh, I won't!" she exclaimed but that was another lie. Of course she was going to look. She had four useless brothers but Nuktuk was much better looking. All of him was, including his you know what.

"Thank you, Miss Baofung," he mentioned. Now he had all his clothes off except his boots, which he kept on so he wouldn't step on anything weird in the moat of the ice fortress.

"Don't mention it," she asserted. And then she started to take off her beautiful gown, which was daring and sexy similar to the ones from Snazzy Magazine and was yellow satin and not green and had no metal on it anywhere (except the zipper but that doesn't count). It molded to her body like wet hair in the shower that wouldn't come loose no matter how hard you tried to shake your hand. No one would ever suspect she was a secret agent for the White Lotus in that gown!

"Why Miss Baofung! Whatever are you doing!" Nuktuk ejaculated.

"I cannot let you go alone! You'll need my brains to complete your mission!" she testified. Underneath her glamorous gown was a beautiful brassiere and matching pants which were a daring red silk and not boring white like someone's mother would buy for her and they made her bosoms look very uplifted and round and Nuktuk, even though he was a gentleman, could not take his eyes off of them.

"Oh Miss Baofung, your bosoms make me all hot and bothered!" Nuktuk ranted.

"I can't blame you, they do that to all the men. But keep your mind on the mission! It's of the most vital importance and we can't get distracted!" Jade claimed. Someone had to keep them focused, after all. Lucky for them that Jade had more brains than most, something that Nuktuk valued.

"Miss Baofung, I cannot stop myself! I must kiss you," Nuktuk bellowed, and then he clasped her into his strongly thewed arms and brought her to his bare chest and some women might have swooned right then and there but Miss Jade Baofung was made of better stuff than that.

"Nuktuk! You'll compromise our mission! I insist that you unhand me right away," she insisted, but inside she was melting away like ice cream left on the counter. He could pick her up like she weighed just nothing at all and would never drop her no matter what or tell her that her ass was flat like Miss Baofung's older brother once did which hurt her feelings very much. Nuktuk would never say anything like that to her ever ever EVER.

"Just one kiss, Miss Baofung. Or...may I call you Jade," he pleaded, panting with lust.

"Well, just this once, since we might die or suffer a fate worse than death from the Evil Villainess Tundra if we're caught," she explained. 

"I'm going to kiss you now then," he whispered, closing his eyes and sliding his lips on hers. His lips were very nice, not all dry or all wet and slimy, but just perfect. And she liked it very very VERY much but then she slapped him across the face.

"Stop your kissing and focus on the mission!" she commanded.

"I'll let you go for now but later, when our mission is complete, you will be mine, Jade Baofung. Forever," he warned, and even though she really wanted to forget the mission and do it right there the mission was the most important thing. Their beautiful mutual love could wait. Also, it would be really cold right there and it'd be better in the bedroom of Nuktuk's hidden hero lair which had a big bed and a fireplace and plenty of pink champagne to drink.

"Oh, Nuktuk, the things you say. Now get into that water and swim!" she demanded, and she dove in and started expertly swimming towards the ice fortress.

END OF CHAPTER 


	15. First Time

Qi'd just come back from another fitting of their wedding clothes when Wu appeared in the inner courtyard, pursing up his lips and giving them quite a speculative look.

"Well, you are looking particularly turned out today. Is that a new suit, my darling?" 

They grinned, spinning in a slow, showy circle. "Picked it up last week. You like?" The suit in question was a luscious creamy summer-weight linen, pinstriped with ivory a single shade darker, worn with a cream shirt and a patterned ecru and eggshell blue cravat, a tonal handkerchief tucked with simulated carelessness into their breast pocket. "I wore it with my new brown and cream spectator shoes."

"It's sublime. I like it very much indeed." Wu's smile curled up the way it did when he was feeling mischievous about something. Qi returned it as Wu sidled up closer to them. "And no cosmetics today, I see." He ran a finger along their jaw, leaning in closer. "Would I be remiss in thinking that you were a boy today, my love?"

"Feeling that way, yeah." Qi slid their arm around his waist and pulled him flush along their body, lips hovering close to his. "You interested?"

"Mmmm," Wu breathed, matching his mouth to theirs as their fingers dug into his waist.

"In public? Seriously? Have you no respect for innocent eyes?"

Wu took in a deep breath and pulled away, scowling. "Naoki Hou-Ting! Is that a respectful way to speak to your parents, I ask you?"

She wrinkled up her nose, trying to keep her hand over a squirming Zhi's eyes. "You're the ones smooching or worse in the courtyard."

"I think it's nice, Papa. It's nice when you kiss Qi!" Zhi beamed as he swatted his sister's hand away. 

Naoki rolled her eyes at that. "We were coming to tell you that Tenzin called. Daddy radioed the Island and said he and Korra would be back the day after tomorrow."

"Oh gracious!" Wu said, immediately turning to head towards the kitchen. "Well, we'll need to make sure we have a special dinner for him when he returns, don't you think?"

"Daddy loves Komodo Chicken," Zhi piped up, and the three of them made their way back to the kitchen, Qi watching fondly after them.

They'd gone for a swim that afternoon after training for a bit, the oppressive heat of the day making them more than a bit dozy. They'd gone up to their room, thinking they'd undress, perhaps sleep through until the evening, to find a folded piece of parchment slid under the door.

_The Four Elements Hotel_

_Presidential Suite_

_7:00 pm_

_Wear the suit_

They smiled, recognizing Wu's distinctive calligraphy. The suit it was, then.

Wu had been missing by the time they'd woken from their brief nap; they'd had dinner with the kids and then LoLo had chased them off, telling them that he and Lin would see the kids to bed. _Have a nice night_ , LoLo had said with a wink, laughing when they'd cheekily stuck their tongue out at him. 

They'd been to the Four Elements, of course; mostly in the restaurant, but they'd had business in the lobby as well. They'd even escorted the Grand Secretariat to and from his own suite while he was staying there. They'd never been up to the suite that took up the entirety of the top floor of the hotel, however, the one that Wu had lived in for so many years. They stopped by the front desk, expecting to have to explain what they'd need but the concierge had spotted them as they walked in the front doors and bowed deeply before escorting them to the elevator, presenting them with a heavily ornate key. 

They stepped off the elevator and walked up to an impressive looking double door, using the key to open and close it silently behind them. There was a marble table there and a place for their shoes, complete with house slippers. Were they the hotel's or something Wu had brought along? Probably the hotel's; place this nice, who knew what kind of freebies you'd get. Forgoing the slippers they stole through the suite, smiling at the plethora of mirrors and gilt, expensive rugs and plush sofas. Wu's kind of place, for sure. Mako had probably spent half his time trying to wipe his own fingerprints off of things. While there seemed to be a few other rooms as far as they could tell the double doors were the only way in and out, the windows being securely locked. Last thing the hotel wanted was anyone tumbling out, accidental or no. 

They could hear noise in one of the other rooms; a faint rustling of silk, the snick of crystal against wood, a little intake of breath that was heartachingly familiar. Wu, then, in what they assumed was a bedroom. A quick check through the rest of the suite showed it was just the two of them. Satisfied that they knew the lay of the land, they went back to the double doors and opened them normally this time, making sure that they were closed with a resounding click.

"I'm here," they called, as loud as possible. No point in showing up unannounced and scaring the pants off of Wu, after all.

"In here," Wu replied, and they decided to put on a pair of the house slippers for his sake. They'd made sure to shower before they came, taking especial care with their hair and even adding a little cologne for shits and giggles. Wu appreciated a well-turned out consort, that was for damn sure. They walked up to the open door they'd avoided during their brief reconnaissance, excited at the idea that they'd get Wu to themselves for the night.

"Wearing the suit as..."

Wu wasn't there.

There was a woman in the bedroom; a slender maiden in flowing silk robes of the palest pink brocaded in cerise, blue and gold, the sleeves lined with spring green, dainty slippers on her feet. Her short, curling hair was softly framing her face, a jeweled headband standing in for the pins that would have held up longer hair. Her green eyes were lined with kohl, her lips tinted a deep, shining rose, her cheeks kissed with rouge and powder. The intoxicating smell of jasmine infused the room, lit by what seemed to be hundreds of candles. Qi stared, startled for once into slack-jawed incomprehension.

The maiden brought her fan to her face, expertly snapping it open with fluid grace, fluttering her eyelashes over it as she moved it slowly to and fro. "My Lord Beifong," she breathed out, and Qi went nearly to their knees.

"Wu?"

She smiled from behind the fan. "My lord?"

"I don't...are you..." They couldn't understand it. Wu looked beautiful; there was no other word for it. The weak chin, delicate bone structure, narrow shoulders and long neck that always had kept Wu from being particularly masculine were stunningly feminine in a gown and paint. They couldn't take their eyes away, nearly forgetting to breathe as they gazed at this unexpected marvel of perfumed elegance.

They'd told Wu once that they weren't interested in role play but this, unless they were very much mistaken, wasn't like that, not precisely. Wu wasn't here pretending to be a woman for the sake of some sort of sexual game; Wu never pretended to be anyone but himself. This Wu, the precious and exquisite woman standing before them, was as much a part of Wu as the ruthless and cunning Earth King was. They loved all of Wu; this side of him previously unseen was no exception. The fact that Wu was trusting them with it made them want to kiss that pretty little maiden senseless.

She laughed and the fan snapped flirtatiously as she approached them, leaning close. "I have heard," she whispered into their ear, her slow, rich Ba Sing Se accent carrying along the formal cadence of her words, "that my Lord Beifong will attend his wedding without having had a woman. Therefore this woman is here for his pleasure this evening." 

Qi reached out to enclose their hand around her waist. "Is she?" 

She bowed her head submissively. "She is, if she pleases my lord." A quick glance up through those long lashes; Wu was really asking.

"She does," they whispered in return, trailing their nose along that long, graceful neck, exulting in the way she trembled in their arms. "My pretty little sugar girl." Wu's breath caught and the Heir to the Noble House of Beifong grinned.


	16. Soulmates

Baatar sighed as he stared down at the bid he was drafting for the renovation of an Upper Ring mansion. Nothing he was excited about but he was relatively new to Ba Sing Se and, as his father always liked to say, beggars couldn't be choosers. The proposed compensation was generous and the potential client had connections so he'd play the game and design something more traditional for now. 

There it was, a wood-framed structure with a rigorously asymmetrical layout. Just like every other house around. Taking his pencil he began to idly sketch; a building with a dramatically high spire, lines clean and elegant, with none of the ostentatious embellishments the owner was insisting on. If a building was designed well it would need no ornamentation; the pure lines themselves would carry it as a whole, something his father had taught him from the time he was a small boy. Even at university his designs had been dismissed as being too simple, however, too basic and uninteresting. _Architecture must reflect and blend with nature,_ one professor had said and he agreed, of course. But wasn't there more than one way to do that? Even if it was in the middle of this sprawling, ugly, overcrowded city.

He tossed his pencil aside with an exasperated grunt as the door to his tiny office opened. He glanced over in surprise; he wasn't expecting anyone, hadn't even bothered to tidy up his desk. One of these days he'd have an assistant to deal with clients and the like, but for now he was on his own. 

His puzzlement turned to astonishment as he peered at the young woman standing in the cramped space between his desk and the door, holding onto a notebook. She was young, for one thing; in her early twenties unless he missed his mark. She had black curls cut into a daringly modern bob; either she wasn't from Ba Sing Se or she was someone who liked to court scandal. Her sharp chin and tip-tilted pale green eyes put him immediately in mind of a playful cat, something that was only enhanced when she moved to perch herself on the side of his desk, her mischievous smile awaiting his reaction.

He didn't know who she was, but he knew, with an impulsive certainty that was utterly unlike him, that he wanted to.

He unconsciously pushed his glasses up and met her gaze. "May I help you, Miss?" Miss Who Is Currently Sitting On My Desk Like She Owns It.

That smile widened and her eyes crinkled at the corners as she leaned forward, getting closer to him than could be deemed at all proper. Whoever she was, she clearly enjoyed pushing at boundaries. "So you're the Baatar everyone's been telling me about?"

He blanked for a moment on her accent before he had it: Republic City. That explained a few things then, including the hair. And probably the sheer nerve of coming into a man's office and sitting down on his paperwork. "I'm Baatar, although I can't vouch for anything else."

She chuckled and then tipped her head to the side. "I want to hire you to build me a city."

He resisted the urge to react to her words; the best way to deal with any potential client was to keep your expression professionally neutral. "That's quite a request, Miss...?"

"Suyin Beifong." She stuck her hand out instead of bowing and he took it, shaking it firmly before letting it go. "But you can call me Su."

Beifong? He didn't know much about the nobility but you'd have to live under a rock not to know who the Beifongs were. "My honor to meet you, Miss Beifong."

She narrowed her eyes a bit at the _Miss Beifong_ but kept going. "I'm not sure where I want to build as of yet but I have some ideas." He obliged her with a nod. This day was not at all turning out the way he'd anticipated, to say the very least. There was a brief silence as they stared at each other.

"I see," he said, since she clearly expected him to say something; apparently it wasn't what she'd anticipated either because she was silent for an even longer moment, eyes wide, before she thrust her notebook at him. 

"I've drawn some of my ideas." A frown. "I'm not really much of an artist."

He held up a hand. "That's of no matter, Miss Beifong. That's my job."

"Will you take a look?" She bit her bottom lip, continuing to hold the notebook out to him. Had she approached anyone else before him? She clearly had no idea how to go about doing this sort of thing. Showing up in a man's office without an appointment, sitting on his desk, telling him you wanted him to build you a city and handing him a notebook wasn't how it was done. He took it from her, however, and opened it, glancing down at the first page. 

"Zaofu?"

"That's what I want to name it," she replied.

"I see," he repeated, and turned the page.

She wasn't much of an artist, that was true, but he caught the gist of what she was going for, reading through the notes she'd scrawled next to the crude renderings. She wanted the city made of metal, of all things, buildings and all. Metal? His pulse quickened. He assumed, with that last name, that she was an earthbender, probably bent metal as well. He wasn't sure if the famous Toph Beifong had had children or not, but this woman might be a niece or a cousin or the like. You'd have to have metalbenders working on the construction, though; there'd be no other way to manage it. The calculations alone of figuring out where to put weight-bearing supports for something that heavy would be a challenge, of course. Or how heavy would it have to be? How thin a layer could you get away with, and what would you use for insulation? As far as he knew, nothing remotely like this had ever been done before.

He could see, in his mind's eye, how the metal of the structures would change in the light; you'd have to compensate for direct sunlight or else you'd blind the residents. Perhaps if the metal were burnished first? If you used contrasting metals, such as steel and platinum, you could incorporate that into the design, use it to give the buildings more depth and interest to the eye. Would it be possible to reflect back the surroundings? She'd said she wasn't sure where she wanted to build it, but if she could manage to find some sort of valley with mountains and perhaps even even a river or two those could be incorporated beautifully with her initial ideas. This could be glorious, this metal city of hers, this crazy, impossible dream. It could, if done right, change the world of architecture forever. 

He knew he wanted - no, not wanted, but _needed_ \- to be the man who brought this idea to life.

She started speaking then, as he continued to look through her notebook, explaining to him that she wanted to create a modern city dedicated to creativity and innovation, how she wanted it to house artisans and inventors from all over the world. She wanted to eradicate poverty, making sure that all of its citizens had enough to live comfortably on, providing public works that could help run and beautify the city as well as keep its citizens employed. "It's what Republic City should have been," she told him earnestly, leaning in again, still perched on his desk. "It's what my mother and the Avatar and the Firelord and the Earth King had all hoped for when they built it. But I know their mistakes and I want to avoid them. I know I can do it." A slight pause; and then, in a much smaller voice, "But I can't do it alone."

He looked up at her, nibbling at her lower lip and he couldn't help himself; he grinned. "You have the money to do this?"

Her face illuminated with hope. "The Beifong fortune is at your disposal."

He nodded. "We're going to need it." He couldn't stop smiling at her audaciousness, thinking she could just up and build her own city on a whim like that. 

She grabbed at his hands, shaking them in her excitement. "Does that mean you'll do it?" She caught her breath, her eyes never leaving his.

There was only one answer to that. "Miss Beifong, I quite honestly can't think of a single thing I'd rather do than build your city for you."

She let out with a wordless cry of joy, throwing her arms around him, pulling him in for a hug. Absolutely not how these things were done; you did not hug the architect who had just agreed to take on your project. She let go before he'd figured out how to respond, taking up her notebook again. "A third of the Beifong mines are mine now and I want to do something momentous with my inheritance."

He pushed his glasses up again. "I do have to warn you, Miss Beifong, I really don't know much about metal at all."

"Don't worry, Baatar," she replied, clearing his desk of his other blueprints with an insouciant shove, ignoring them as they tumbled to the floor, discarded. That cheeky grin appeared again. "That's my job."


	17. Accidental Baby Acquisition

She was just thinking she should order some tea and perhaps take a little break when the intercom on her desk buzzed at her. She pressed the button. "Yes?"

Her secretary's voice came through, tinny as usual. "Your sister is here to see you, Madame Beifong." A pause, weighted with reproach. "Although she doesn't have an appointment."

She rolled her eyes, pressing down again. "For future reference, my sister never needs an appointment. Send her in, please." She put her finger back down. "Oh, and bring us some tea, would you?"

"Right away, Madame."

The door opened, and Lin came in, a peevish look on her face. "New secretary?"

She sighed. "A work in progress, believe me." She got up and came around her desk, enfolding Lin into a hug. Lin was, as always, a bit stiff, but she didn't give a damn. She was her sister and there had been too many years without hugs. She took them whenever she could get them. "So this is a surprise! Where are the kids? Where's LoLo?"

"No kids, no LoLo. Just me."

She flicked an eyebrow at that. "Just you? How did you get here?"

"I took a train. You know, long silver thing, goes choo-choo?" 

She curled her lip at her and gestured her towards one of the sofas. "New rule, no sarcasm before tea."

"Please. We're Beifongs. We can do sarcasm whenever." Lin sat down, crossing her legs. "Speaking of tea..."

"Ordered, give it a minute." She sat down next to her. "So are you going to tell me why you're here? I know you didn't show up just to shoot the shit. You hate trains."

"Too many people, too fucking noisy," Lin agreed. "Also I don't trust the damn toilets. And at my age, I need the damn toilets." She leaned back. 

"Why not take the airship, then?"

"Because I didn't want His Royal Nosiness to know my business, that's why." Lin grimaced. "Besides, he's not very happy with me right now."

"Oh, I know I'm going to want to hear all about this," she said, but was interrupted by her secretary knocking and bringing in a tea tray. She made a mental note to say something later; if Chef had been informed Lin was here he would have provided them with some of the melon-mint candies of his that she loved. "Thank you, that will be all." Seeing her sister's disappointment, she grinned. "We'll get you some of those candies you like later." She hooked her ankle around Lin's. "You're staying tonight, right?"

"Yeah. I told the house I had to do a few things with the estate in Gaoling and I'd be gone for a couple of days." She took the proffered tea and sniffed at it. "Which isn't a lie, I do need to go and talk to a lawyer there about my half of it."

She sat up with a jerk. "Lin, you aren't..." her breathing started to quicken.

"I'm not...oh shit, no, no, I'm not sick or anything, calm your tits," Lin grabbed at her knee. "I'm fine, no worries. Everyone's fine."

She shut her eyes briefly. "Don't fucking scare me like that."

"Sorry."

"So why are you here?"

Lin took a swallow of her tea before setting it aside. "This is confidential, mind. You can tell Baatar, of course, but I'd ask you not to discuss it with anyone else, it's not public knowledge yet."

She snorted. "By that you mean Nuo, of course." They exchanged an amused look together. "But yes, of course I'll keep it to myself. I give you my word."

Lin nodded and let out a long, slow breath. "Wu asked Qi to marry him."

She put her tea cup on the table. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, you heard me."

"Well, shit."

"That's what I said."

"Does Mako know?" 

Lin snorted. "You're assuming that Wu spoke to him about it before asking Qi? Yeah, that wasn't happening."

She leaned forward. "Well, I can tell you Nuo doesn't know or else we all would have heard about it. What did Qi say?"

"Nothing, at this point. Came to me the day before yesterday, told me about it, asked me if they could stay in my flat downtown for a bit while they tried to think it through."

"I take it you said yes?"

"Of course. They can stay there as long as they want. It's not like I'm ever there any more anyhow."

"Yes, I know, with your no-strings-attached-not-a-husband." She grinned as Lin kicked her.

"Don't start with me."

She twirled her index finger absently before taking back her cup. "So. Hmm. Wu asked Qi to marry him. That's a fuck of a thing, isn't it?" She tapped her nails along her cup. "Although I'm sure for Wu it's not a big deal, it's standard for a Hou-Ting to have more than one consort." She pointed her cup at Lin so fast that the tea nearly went flying out. "Wait, he did ask them to marry him, right? Not be his concubine?"

Lin scowled. "Of course he asked them to marry him! Wu's got issues with concubines, fuck's sake. He's not going to ask Qi to do that." She sucked on her teeth for a moment, a sure sign she was trying to think of how to say something.

"What?"

"What do you mean, what?"

"I mean, what else do you want to tell me? I know there's something!"

"Fuck me sideways, Su! Give me a minute, would you?" Lin threw her hands up. "Can I even finish my tea first?"

She threw her hands in return. "Oh, just take your time, leave me hanging."

Lin took up her cup, looked her in the eye, and began to slowly and deliberately sip from it.

"Oh, now that's very funny. Very mature."

Lin laughed, clearly amused with herself, before draining the rest. "Okay, okay." She put the cup back down. "So listen, I haven't spoken to Qi about this yet, because I needed to speak to you first."

"I'm listening."

Lin sat back and fussed with her trousers for a moment. "I was thinking about adopting Qi."

Her mouth sagged open. "That's...uh...huh."

Lin dismissed it with a wave. "Yeah, I know, I know. Unexpected, blah blah blah."

She scoffed. "Give me half a minute to catch up, here." 

"Yeah, well." Lin shifted. 

"Can you tell me why?" As Lin began to scowl she quickly continued. "I'm not saying I'm against it, Lin. I'm just wondering where the fuck this came from?"

Lin sighed and stared down at her hands. "I've been thinking about it for awhile, this didn't just come about because of the proposal, although that's the reason why I decided to do more than think about it at this point." She glanced over. "They're all alone, Su, you know that. We might have been feuding all those years but we still had each other, at least. And Mom. But they've got nothing. No name, no parents, no history."

She reached over and took Lin's hand in hers. "And you've been raising them through their teens, anyhow."

Lin snorted. "I wouldn't call it that."

She cupped Lin's cheek affectionately. "No, you wouldn't. But you have been, you and LoLo both."

Lin shrugged, uncomfortable. "Well, that's not the point. The point is that I don't have any kids and I can offer them what they want and need and it's no skin off my damn nose. I mean, what was I going to do with all that fucking money anyhow?" She gestured around the room. "You were busy spending yours on a city but mine's just been sitting there. Maybe Qi can get some use out of it when I'm dead."

She tried not to laugh. "So it's just about giving away your money, is it?"

"Oh fuck off." Lin kicked her in the ankle and she kicked back, grinning. "But look, the reason I'm talking to you about it is because if I do this, if Qi agrees - and they might not agree, you know."

She very much doubted that, but there was no point in bringing it up; Lin would only get irritated and clam up. "You're trying to get at the fact that you're the oldest and that Qi, as your adopted child, would be the heir to the family title." 

Lin made a face. "That's what I was trying to get at before you interrupted." 

"I mean, it's not like the title really means anything any longer, not after Wu dismantled the Earth Kingdom. It's just paper at this point."

"Still, though. And it cuts Baatar Junior right out of succession."

Ah, so that was it. "Well, that's neither here nor there. You shouldn't decide what to do for your life or Qi's based on Baatar, Lin."

"I know that. But I'm not going to pretend it isn't an issue. I wasn't going to just up and do this without sounding you out about it. Give me a little credit."

She took both of her hands in hers. "Lin, I think it's a wonderful idea. For Qi and for you as well. If you're looking for my blessing, then you have it. All of it." Lin just grunted at that, but she didn't take offense. She knew her sister. "And I'll be honest with you here, I don't think Baatar would care one way or the other." She took a deep breath. "I can't swear on it. But the family name isn't something I think he's particularly proud of right now."

"That could change later." Lin was gentle, for once. "Give him time, Su. He's up there with Huan and Ikki, he's going to be okay."

She looked away, her eyes starting to fill. "We're not here to talk about him."

Lin pulled her close, wrapping her arms around her. "We can if you want to."

She sniffled. "Not unless I get at least a bottle of wine into me."

Lin laughed into her hair. "That could probably be arranged. You want to come to Gaoling with me? I was thinking I could check with a lawyer there, make sure it wouldn't be any big deal to legally transfer my part of the estate and mines and all that shit over."

She snuggled in a little tighter. "I can do you one better. I'll take you tomorrow to talk to the law firm I have on retainer. Zaofu law, of course, but those women are sandsharks and they know both Republic City as well as Ba Sing Se law in and out." She chuckled. "They're sisters, actually. And if Qi does decide to marry Wu then I'll send Bhimadevi to deal with the contract. She specialized in it when they were in Ba Sing Se, before they moved here. She'll take good care of them. And the firm can do everything needed for the adoption as well."

"Huh. I may take you up on that."

"Well, do."

"You still want to go to Gaoling? We could spend the night at the estate, raid the wine cellar, get shitfaced."

"Fuck, it's tempting..."

"Come on, you know you want to." Lin nudged at her playfully until she laughed.

"Fine! We can go tomorrow after we talk to the lawyers. Nuo can cover for me." She hopped up and pulled Lin up with her. "Come on, let's go find Baatar, tell him what's what." She walked to the desk and pressed down on the button.

"Yes, Madame Beifong?"

"Reschedule my 3:00 for next week, please. And clear my schedule for the next couple of days, I need to go out of town unexpectedly. Anything that can't be easily rescheduled can be covered by Nuo, but make sure it really can't be rescheduled." She rolled her eyes at her sister. "Do not let them push you around, got it?"

"Uh...yes, Madame Beifong."

She let go of the button. "Give me patience."

"What happened to your old secretary?"

"Left me to move to Ba Sing Se for some man, damn it."

Lin snorted. "The best ones always do. I almost lost one of my best officers that way. Damn shame." She frowned. "And speaking of damned shames, when am I getting my candy?"

"Fine, kitchen first and then Baatar."

"Deal," Lin said, and hooked her arm into hers.


	18. Poetry

"And without further ado, let me present to you the Earth Kingdom's most revered poet, Dufu." Aiwei bowed deeply, indicating the man standing on the stage of Zaofu's community theater before resuming his own seat on the far edge of the stage. A wave of polite applause followed his words as Dufu, stroking his extremely long mustache, posed with faux-humility while he waited for the adulation to ease off.

Her mother sighed loudly. "Is this going to take all night?" she asked, making no effort whatsoever to keep her voice down. "I was planning on trimming down my toenails."

"Mother," she hissed, her glare wasted on her but taken to heart by the twins, sitting on the other side of their father, already fidgeting. Baatar had tried to argue that six was too young to take in an evening of poetry but Dufu was coming here to honor their grandmother, after all. He so rarely gave live readings like this. It was sure to be memorable.

"I dedicate this poem to the legendary Toph Beifong, the originator of metalbending, friend to the Avatar, succor to her countrymen, mother to the honored matriarch of this beautiful city." Dufu flung an arm towards her mother, slouching in her seat, sucking on her teeth. He had a surprisingly deep voice for a man who looked so weedy. Junior, cheek propped up by his fist, yawned.

"Grandma doesn't suck," Huan mumbled, staring at the floor.

"Damn skippy I don't," her mother replied, grinning. "Get on with it," she called towards the stage. "We haven't got all night!"

"Mother. Please." She knew her mother heard her but Toph merely grunted.

Dufu posed, both arms now flung out to either side, closing his eyes as he recited.

 _Each clod of flying dirt muddies the river,_  
_I grieve as the rocks float in the wind._  
_I watch the last ones move before my eyes,_  
_And cannot have enough wine pass my lips._

There was a rather dramatic pause as he took in a slow, deep breath, putting his hand to his chest as if in emotional distress. She heard a distinct scoff to the side of her, but couldn't tell which Baatar it was. 

"Is it done?" Huan wondered, and her mother cackled at that. Dufu seemingly ignored the interruption and nearly bellowed out the next line, making poor Opal jump next to her.

 _Cranefish nest by the little hall on the river,_  
_Wolfbats lie at the high cave's enclosure._  
_Having studied the world, one must seek joy,_  
_For what use is the trap of passing honor?_

He held his pose for an excruciatingly long moment and then dropped his arms and his head. The applause immediately started as he looked up, pressing his hands over his heart and bowing towards each section of the audience.

"I don't get it," Huan said.

"Nobody got it," Junior replied, shoving up his glasses and jutting out his chin. He hadn't wanted to come and had made no secret of it.

"I sure as shit didn't," her mother said, in agreement with Junior for once. "Although I could use some of that wine passing my lips right about now."

"Could we all please," she gritted out, and one of the twins released a thunderously loud fart, which set off all of them, her mother included. Even her husband, grabbing a twin in each hand, was trying not to snicker. "Behave yourselves," she hissed, mortified, quickly glancing around the hall. "Boys! I swear to you, I will ground you for the next year!"

Her mother stood up and clomped her way over to the aisle, gleefully stepping on toes as she went. "Sorry about that, I'm blind, you know." She made her way up to Dufu, who bowed to her several times, which her mother pretended not to sense.

"Thanks for that enlightening poem," her mother said, and cracked her knuckles. "I have one of my own about metalbenders I'd like to share, written by my very good friend Sokka."

Her mouth dropped open in horror as she tried to stand or sink into the floor, she wasn't sure which. "Mother!" Not one of Sokka's poems! Anything but one of Sokka's poems!

With a malicious grin, her mother began to recite.

 _There once was a man named Madras_  
_Whose balls were made of brass_  
_In stormy weather_  
_They clang together_  
_And sparks fly out of his ass!_

The entire hall went completely silent, only broken by Junior's snorts of laughter. "Good one, Grandma!"

"I don't get it," Huan repeated.

"I'll explain it later," Junior told him, still laughing, and Wei piped up.

"Me too, Junior!"

"Yeah, me too!"

"You boys like that one? I've got another Sokka special!" her mother called down, but she met Aiwei's eyes desperately and he stood up.

"Thank you, Honorable Dufu and Honorable Beifong for your scintillating contributions this evening." He bowed and began another round of polite applause, which the audience gratefully joined, not really knowing what else to do. She sank back into her seat, trying desperately to keep her mortified tears at bay.

"Are you okay, Mommy?" Opal's little hand crept into hers, and she dug deep and found a smile for her. 

"I'm fine, sweetie. I just wasn't expecting Grandma to go up and give a poem as well." Aiwei was exhorting the audience to return to the lobby, where refreshments would be served. Dufu had planned on reciting several poems, she knew, but there was no point now. "Now why don't you go with Dad and get something to eat, okay?" She leaned around her. "Junior, help your father with your siblings, please? I need to do something, I'll be right back." She quickly stood and made her way through the people beginning to exit, pretending like she wasn't noticing their attempts to get her attention, pushing backstage and through the back entrance, into the cool night air beyond, taking deep breaths and struggling to calm herself. She wished she had a cigarette.

It was her own fault, she knew this. The twins were far too young, Huan never handled events like this well, Opal had only behaved because Opal always behaved and Junior had made it very clear he didn't want to go. She should have just left them at home with the sitter and spared all of them, including herself.

But her mother? Her attention seeking, deliberately provocative mother? She was like an overgrown child herself, only wanting to do what pleased her. Sometimes she couldn't believe she'd ever run an entire police force, had spent her days supervising officers as well as fighting crime. She shouldn't have brought the children, fine. But couldn't her mother have just sucked it up and behaved for once in her life?

"There you are. What are you doing out here when the wine's in there?" Her mother was casual, pretending like nothing had happened. An apology, Toph Beifong style. Which was to say no apology at all.

"Just leave it, Mother."

"Oh come on, Suyin. It was just a joke." Toph shifted uncomfortably. "You never could take a joke."

"Really?" She turned, her anger seeping out of her, the force of it trying to drag down all of her carefully built walls of control. "I thought it was Lin who couldn't take a joke. Or maybe it's just anyone who doesn't find your adolescent humor remotely funny."

Toph scowled. "I didn't want to come to this fucking thing anyhow."

"No. You didn't. And fuck knows that the mighty Toph Beifong can't be half-assed to do anything for anyone else that doesn't revolve around her."

"Oh, that's rich, coming from you. _Matriarch_." Toph crossed her arms.

"Would it be too much to ask of you to do one thing for me? To sit in a damn room and keep your fucking big mouth shut for a half hour?" She threw a hand up. "No, don't bother answering that. We all know the answer to it."

"The world doesn't revolve-"

"You humiliated me," she shouted, a part of her savagely pleased when her mother stepped back, startled. "You humiliated me in front of my family, my city, and the poet I expressly invited here to speak. You didn't give a shit about how it made me look, never mind how it made me feel. And now, just like always, you want me to laugh it off so we can pretend like nothing happened and everything's fine. Well, not tonight, Mother. Not tonight. Tonight you can go fuck yourself." She pushed herself off of the wall and walked past her mother, ignoring the hand that was reaching for her.

"Su! Suyin!"

She opened the back door and took a deep breath before dabbing at her eyes and patting at her hair, bringing up her chin. She forced a pleasant smile on her face and moved forwards towards the waiting lobby, Matriarch to the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I completely stole a poem by the ancient Chinese poet Du Fu and messed with it to apply to Toph.
> 
> I also stole the limerick. But it sounds like something Sokka would write, doesn't it?


	19. Mythology

Bo grimaced as the mud, once again, tried to suck at his shoe. "Come on, come on," he muttered, yanking his foot back as he bent at the muck, nearly toppling backwards as the shoe stuck and his foot went flying. "Bastard mud! My shoe!"

"It might be easier if you didn't wear the shoe at all," came a voice, and he let out with a scream as an old man loomed above him, his long white hair making him look, in the moment, like one of the swamp trees come to life. "No need to shout at me, it was just a suggestion." The old man twitched a finger and the mud surged up to return his shoe.

"Thanks," he said, taking it and quickly bending the mud off. He noticed the old man wasn't wearing any shoes himself.

"Okay," the old man said, and started to go back to where he had presumably come from. Bo blinked, hard, before scrambling after him, hopping up and down while trying to get his other shoe off.

"Wait! Wait! Were you earthbending or waterbending?"

The old man raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't you tell? You were trying to do both to your shoe but you were making a mess of it."

"Uh, well, I've only been waterbending like, a month now. It's not very good."

"No," the old man agreed. He shrugged, and then kept going.

"No wait, wait, please! I think you might be the person I came to find!" Bo slid a little, trying to get in front of him, before bowing properly, hands folded. "I'm Bo Beifong."

The old man absently removed a leaf from his hair, handing it to him. "But that can't be right, you would be very old by now. You aren't very old at all." He furrowed his brow. "Have you reincarnated already?"

"I...what?" He tried to puzzle out what the old man was saying to him. "I'm Bolin. Beifong, I mean, my real name is Bolin but everyone just calls me Bo."

The old man stared at him. "You don't look much like Bolin. Different eyes. Yours have a lot of blue in them."

"Do you mean my great-great-grandfather Bolin? I was named for him but he died before I was born. I never met him."

"He once called my Harmonic Convergence statue a banana." The old man scowled. "It didn't look anything like a banana."

"Uh...sir?"

"So are you San's boy?" The old man peered into his face, going so close to his eyes that they began to cross. "More of a teal color. Must come from Amak."

"San's my great-grandfather and Amak my great-granny!" He waved his shoes, smiling. "He's the one who told me I could find you!" 

"Did he? Hmmm. How old are you again? Time keeps sliding through my head and then it's gone."

"I'm ten, sir."

"You can just call me Uncle Huan." He started walking again. "We can skip all the greats. There are too many of them, and by the time we said all of them then it'd be time for dinner."

In response, Bo's stomach gave a loud gurgle. "Uh, sorry. I'm kind of hungry."

"Yes, I know, you finished all the food in your pack this morning."

His mouth dropped open. "How did you know?"

"Oh, I knew the moment you entered the swamp. I've been keeping an eye on you. I've been expecting you."

"But...how could you expect me? Nobody knew I was coming! Why didn't you say anything?"

"Just wanted to see what you would do. You don't know how to gather any food, do you?"

"Uh...no ssss-Uncle Huan. I'm from Republic City. We don't really do that there." He nimbly hopped over a log. "But how could you be expecting me?"

The old man smiled down on him. "The Little Bird told me you would be coming."

He blinked. "You speak to birds?"

"No. Do you?"

"I...nobody talks to birds!"

"I wouldn't say nobody. But I don't. And apparently you don't."

"But..." Talking to his great-great-great uncle was like talking in circles. "You said a little bird told you."

"I said The Little Bird. I meant my wife." His smile was a little sad. "She had dreams sometimes, she could see the future. Right before she died she told me I had to wait to join her, because you'd be coming and you'd need me to train you."

"Oh." He felt tears coming to his eyes. "You must be sad your wife died, Uncle Huan."

A tear tracked down his uncle's cheek and he reached out to take Bo's hand in his own, his hand dry and rough, but not unpleasantly so. "I am very sad and lonely for her. When I'm done training you then I'll go and join her. She's been waiting." 

"But you'll help me?" Bo gazed up at him and his stomach protested again.

"First I will help you get some dinner. And then we'll talk about earthbending. Why hasn't San been teaching you?"

"He taught me when I was really little but then the White Lotus gave me an earthbending teacher but I don't like him. Uncle Huan, is it true what Great-Grandfather says, were you really trained by Toph Beifong?"

Uncle Huan laughed at that. "I was, she was my Grandma, you know." He pointed with his free hand, towards a very large banyan tree. "There's where I live. So tell me, Bo that isn't the other Bo, can you bend metal? What about sand and glass and lava?"

"I can bend earth and metal but not the rest, not yet. And a little bit of water...hey! You knew I bent water at my shoe? How did you know?"

Uncle Huan put a hand to his back and gently moved him through a large crack to the hollow inside of the tree, where it was very snug and comfortable, with two beds and rugs on the floor and what looked like lots of painting and big metal sculptures and things, with several large battery lanterns hanging down. "I could sense it. And speaking of, how's your seismic sense?"

"I'm just starting to learn."

"Air yet? Fire?"

Bo shook his head as Uncle Huan went and opened up a large chest, digging out some packages of Flameo Instant Noodles and putting a kettle over a banked fire. "Fire a little but no air yet. But Uncle, where did those come from? The noodles, I mean."

Uncle Huan stared down at them. "The factory, I suppose." He pointed. "Well, come and practice a little of that firebending, give us some flame for our water."

Bo frowned as he tried to focus on his _qi_ , willing the coals to come back to life. "I mean, how did you get them here?"

"Oh, my granddaughter brings me supplies on her air bison when she comes to visit. You'll like her, she'll teach you how to bend air." He sat down on the mat, and smiled, patting next to him, waiting for Bo to sit down before continuing. "So, Avatar Bo, who has run away from the White Lotus. I've been waiting ten years for you to get here. Or possibly longer. I'm not sure. Let's have some noodles and then you can show me what you've learned so far."

Bo caught his breath. "You won't make me go back?"

"You're ten and the Avatar. You should know more than just earth and metalbending. That's just poor teaching. You can stay with me until you learn what you need to learn." Uncle winked at him. "Also, you can wash the dishes."

"You mean for waterbending practice?"

"Hmmm? No, I just don't like washing dishes." His great-great-great uncle shared another laugh with him and then poured the water into the noodle cups for their dinner.


	20. Weird

The majordomo had told him, when he finally rolled out of bed, that nearly everyone else had already gone out for the day; his mother, great-aunt and the girls had gone into town and his father, Uncle Mako and Qi had gone out on the boat. Uncle Wu was still in bed with one of his headaches and LoLo was around somewhere.

He thought he knew where and as he walked down to the beach he saw him there, propped up on the big double lounger that he and Auntie Lin liked to canoodle in when she thought no one was paying attention, a drink to one side and a novel in his hands, happily sunning himself. He dropped down on the sand in front of him and LoLo smiled at him over the book.

"Well now, sleepyhead, good of you to join us. Did you get some breakfast?" He nodded and LoLo gestured with his head. "Well, pull up a lounger and sit with your old LoLo for a bit then, what do you say?"

He dragged a chair down and positioned it next to LoLo before plopping himself down. "I didn't mean to sleep in so late."

LoLo just laughed. "I was seventeen once. Sleeping in was what I loved best." He winked. "Besides, you're on a holiday."

"Yeah."

LoLo tucked a bookmark into his novel and put it down on his little table with his drink. "So what are your plans today?"

He shrugged. "Everyone kind of left without me." Not that it mattered. Pearl and Sayuri were usually off getting into trouble of some sort or another and Meili was always trying to be productive with her time; she'd never been the type to just want to lay around and relax anyhow. "I don't..." He frowned unhappily. "It doesn't matter."

LoLo tilted his head at him. "What is it, sugarbun? Tell your old LoLo."

He opened his mouth to say that everything was fine, but instead slammed his hands down onto the lounger in frustration.

"Why, Bu!" LoLo shifted himself into a sitting position, swinging his legs to plant his feet onto the sand. "What is it, honey? You know you can tell me."

"Nothing's like it used to be when we were little! Now they just leave me alone and...everything's different now!" He didn't think he was making much sense, but LoLo just smiled.

"Well, that's the right of it when you're seventeen, true enough," LoLo said, grabbing at a strand of hair that had worked its way loose from his topknot, tucking it neatly back. "I up and ran off and joined the Navy when I was your age, remember? I think it was just my way of trying to make sense of how everything was changing and how much I was afraid of that."

"Really?" He was a little skeptical. LoLo never seemed to be afraid of anything at all.

"That's about the way of it. Although I wouldn't suggest you do the same. I don't think the Navy'd take an airbender anyhow." LoLo winked at him. "You're still pretty rare beasts, after all."

"I never asked to be a rare beast," he grumbled, and LoLo chuckled.

"No, I know you didn't. But there it is, anyhow." LoLo lay back on the lounger and motioned for him. "You need a cuddle or are you too old for that sort of thing now?"

"Not today I'm not," he said, and moved over. He'd shot up over the past few years but wasn't much taller than LoLo, even now. San had gotten Grampy's height and build but he'd never been anything but slight. He'd always figured that some of it was probably due to how sick he'd been when he was little but not all of it. Mom was pretty small, after all, and Uncles Wei and Wing weren't any taller than Dad. He was built more like his Uncle Huan and he tried not to mind. Better for an airbender, he guessed. But sometimes he still felt bad about it.

LoLo put an arm around him. "You want to get it off your chest?"

"I don't even know what's on my chest."

LoLo just chuckled again. "Ah, like that, is it? Problems with your parents?"

He shook his head at that one; he genuinely loved his parents, which he knew wasn't precisely normal for a guy his age but there it was. Dad was the absolute best and Mom had always been firmly on his side. "No, it's not that. I love my family. I love you all." He missed San when he was in the field with Zhi but he'd always known that San and Zhi had something that he was never going to get in the middle of; he'd been okay with that for years, though. Pearl was Pearl - a true Beifong hellraiser if there ever was one, even at thirteen - but he loved her as well, even if he had no desire to get caught up in all of her troublemaking. 

"School problems?"

He just shrugged at that. He was pretty average when it came to school; he knew he wasn't as smart as either San or Pearl - and especially nothing like Zhi or even Sayuri, who was kind of terrifyingly brilliant - but he'd never cared about that kind of thing. Dad always said that he himself was smart enough in the end to marry Mom, and he figured he was like that too, smart enough in the end. "Naw, school's okay."

"Girl problems?" LoLo's smile was gentle. "Or boy problems, at that."

He frowned, thinking about this. "LoLo...you like girls, right? Well, women, I should say."

LoLo laughed. "Well, sugarbun, I've never made a secret of that. I do enjoy the ladies." He winked. "And a few select gentlemen in my day, I've never been overly fussed about that sort of thing." He shook his head, clearly amused. "Although I wouldn't dream of indulging without your auntie's say-so nowadays. I know where my dumplings are crimped, after all."

He nodded, slowly. "When did you start liking the ladies?" A quick glance. "I mean, how old were you?"

LoLo squinted up at the sky. "Oh now, let me see. That's quite a few years back. I think my first real crush was on a girl named Sakiko. An older woman, mind. I was about oh, nine, I think? And she was a very mature twelve." He patted Bu's arm. "She had long black hair that rippled down her back like ocean waves, that much I remember. I was very taken with her. I followed her around, hoping for a kiss."

"Did you get one?" He found himself smiling, and LoLo placed a hand to his heart.

"Sadly, no. I was a very grubby and rascally nine year old and the only woman interested in kissing me at that point was my mother. It took me a few years to figure it all out."

"Uncle Mako told me that Dad thought he was quite the ladykiller when he was a little younger than me."

LoLo grinned. "I'll just bet he was. I have it on very good authority that he had quite the crush on the Avatar, at one point."

"He was the same age as me when he met Mom."

"And he's stayed devoted all these years? That doesn't surprise me at all, knowing your father. He's a very good man."

"Pearl has crushes. She's thirteen." He stared across the waves, searching for the horizon. He never found it, but he always looked anyhow. One of these days he thought he'd take Ginger and they'd go and see if they could find it together, just flying as far as they wanted.

LoLo whistled. "Well, Pearl takes after your grandmother, if everything your auntie tells me is true. Some folks are just born wild, and I think your sister is one of them."

He was quiet for a few moments, wondering how to say what he was afraid of saying. LoLo was quiet along with him, just waiting. "I...I don't. Have crushes, I mean. I'm..." he struggled to find the words, glancing over at LoLo, who gave him a little smile.

"You're what, sugarbun? Whatever it is, it's clear it's tearing you up inside, so can't you tell your old LoLo about it? Better out than in."

"I just don't want to disappoint anyone." His eyes started to fill up.

"Bu. Honey. I don't think you have it in you to disappoint anyone. What is it?"

"I don't like anyone. Like that. I mean, like you had with Sakiko or Dad with Mom. Or anyone else. I'm just...I'm weird and I..." A fat tear plopped down. "I think there's something wrong with me."

LoLo sat up, face serious. "Bu. Why on earth would you think there was something wrong with you?"

"I hear what other people say when they talk about crushes, or love. Whatever. And I read, too, like Uncle Wu's books."

LoLo reached over to thumb away his tears. "Why honey, you can't go by what you read in books. They're just a fantasy, after all. I know your uncle would tell you the very same thing."

His voice cracked and wobbled as he tried to swallow. "It's not just that, LoLo. I hear people talking and I tried, a few years ago, to talk to Dad about it and he told me I was just a late bloomer and not to worry about it." He snuffled and scrubbed at his eyes. "But LoLo, I don't think I'm ever going to bloom. I just don't feel that way. I like people, I like to spend time with people, and I love my family but I don't feel like what the books say, or like what other people say. I just don't feel like I want to..." He dropped his head, ashamed.

"You don't feel like you want sex?" LoLo's voice was gentle. "Is that it, honey?"

He shook his head, miserable. "I don't want that, or kissing, or any of it. I mean...I don't mind if Mom is giving me a kiss or even you, but kissing someone else because..." he struggled to find the words, but LoLo put his hand to the back of his skull.

"Because you don't have a crush on them?"

He nodded. "It doesn't make me feel bad or anything, I don't care if other people do it. But I'm just not interested." A few more tears made their way down his cheeks.

"Oh sugarbun. Bu. Now how long have you been carrying this around inside?" 

"I don't know. I just...I know there's something wrong with me but I kept hoping it would get fixed or I could change it."

"That's not how it works, honey. Not for anyone. We all are who we are. Pretending to be someone else is always just a temporary fix. And never a good one, either." LoLo pulled him close. "Now, I have a question for you, and I want you to think about it. Okay?"

"Okay."

LoLo's arm tightened around him. "What does it matter?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what does it matter to anyone if you ever have any kind of a love affair? If you're happy and content being who you are then what does it matter?"

"But Dad...and Mom..."

"Honey, your parents just want you to be happy. I can promise you that."

"But what if I never get married? Or have kids?"

"Well, I never have had kids. Nor has your auntie."

"But she has Qi."

"Well, so she does. But she never had a baby and she never wanted that. For that matter, your Uncle Mako never fathered a baby either. Some people can't, regardless of how much sex they have. If you decide some day you'd like a child why then you can worry about that then, there are means and ways, as you can see with your uncles. But not everyone wants that in their life and that's okay too." LoLo kissed him on his forehead. "You know General Iroh, of course."

He nodded.

"Well now. The general, he's never married or had a child. He made the military his career and I think he's been very happy with that. He's a damn good leader, he didn't get to where he is because of who his mother is, he got there on his own merit. Now, I've known him since he was born, my parents used to be the chefs for the Firelord, I've told you that. He came to the Navy after he got out of university, he was in his early twenties at the time, and I was a few years older. He rose up through the ranks until he was leading them, first serving under Rohan's Uncle Bumi and then getting his own ship. He's a very successful man and he's planning on retiring in the next few years." LoLo looked at him and smiled. "All these years I've known him, I've never once known him to show any kind of interest in anyone else. Romantic interest, I mean. Or sexual interest. I couldn't swear to it, of course, but I very sincerely doubt he's ever had a lover. And yet he's had a very good life. I don't think he's unhappy, not at all. He's just not the kind of man who wants or needs all of that in his life. But no one would call him weird, or a failure, or wrong or anything else like that. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"I guess," he said, and his tone must have carried his doubt because LoLo sighed.

"Sugarbun, it's never easy for anyone to be different from the crowd. Plenty of folks aren't comfortable with that sort of thing and they'll be sure to let you know. And I can't promise you that everyone will understand or accept you if you don't live the kind of life they expect. But you can't live your life for anyone else, not even your folks. You just need to live it for you. I don't know anything truer than that."

"But you'll still love me, won't you?" He tried to keep his lips from trembling, but failed. LoLo gathered him close, however.

"Norbu, I have loved you since you were a teeny, tiny baby, and I will love you all my days. You're my own little sugarbun, and that will never change, no matter how old you are or where you end up or whether you marry or love anyone else or not. You are one of the joys of my life, you hear? And there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. At all."

He nodded, still sniffling. "If I talk to Dad and Mom about this will you come with me?"

"If that's what you want, then that's what I'll do."

"Thanks, LoLo." He threw his arms around his neck. "I love you, too." LoLo chuckled and patted him.

"As many dumplings as I've managed to get into you over the years, I should hope so." He smiled as LoLo laughed and tousled his hair just like he was a little boy again.


	21. Hope

She gracefully made her way through their beautifully maintained garden, her embroidered slippers barely making a sound on the manicured paths. _A woman should move as a gently flowing river, a ripple of silk in the breeze, a fragile flower whose petals must be protected,_ her mother had always told her, and she never hurried anywhere, her steps small and elegant, her expression always serene, regardless of how she felt. It was how she had been taught and how, in return, she had taught her own daughter. They were of the nobility, after all. People looked to them to set an example.

The maid carrying the parasol for her scuffed her foot on the path; a slight pause in her own movement let the woman know that she was displeased. A small intake of breath and they continued on. The maid was new; if necessary she would speak to their majordomo but she thought it might not be required. The more experienced maid to her other side, carrying the elaborately carved wooden chest, would say something to her, she was sure. 

The family shrine was located to the side of the estate, positioned on a small hill that rose above the trees. The new maid offered her an arm as she slowly made her way up to its entrance. She could have used a palanquin, of course, but her husband would have heard about it and she wished to be discreet. So up she climbed, taking a moment to catch her breath at the top. "You may leave me," she told her maids, and after the chest had been placed into position both maids bowed and left to stand at the bottom of the hill, waiting for her signal to return. 

She was so very rarely alone.

She took a deep breath and opened the chest, taking out the wine, fresh flowers, and incense sticks. She calmed her breathing as she set about pouring the wine and arranging the flowers, careful to be sure that her thoughts were as pure as possible. When all had been arranged to her satisfaction she kneeled on the mat, arranging her robes so as not to crush the embroidered silk. A carefully banked ember in a pot in the chest lit the sticks and as the heady, resinous smell seeped through her consciousness she bowed three times before placing the sticks in their holder.

"Ancestors," she murmured, her voice sweet and melodious, "I honor you today. Please accept these gifts of my filial devotion, the daughter of your house." She came up out of her bow and breathed in the perfumed air, trying to compose herself. "Ancestors, I ask of you-" her voice broke off as tears threatened, and she swallowed. "I beg of you, as a filial daughter, to please..." another deep breath to regain her composure failed, and her voice began to shake, "...please watch over your descendant Toph, wherever she may be. Please protect her. Please help her. I beg of you, I..." a hand to her mouth as a sob escaped. "She is a child, still, and I love her so very..." another moment to regain herself. "Please guide her with your wisdom and bring her home safely, ancestors."

She took out her handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes, trying to erase all signs of emotion. It would not be seemly for her to be seen this way; her husband would be both disappointed and angry. He had been so furious to find Toph missing, had immediately gone about hiring men to find her and bring her home, ranting about how she had been kidnapped and how he would have justice for his poor, helpless, blind daughter.

She did not think that Toph had been kidnapped. She thought that her Toph, her small, fragile blind flower, was not as helpless as she had always seemed to be. She thought, in fact, that her daughter had hidden her own strength of will behind the same emotionless facade that she herself always maintained. She knew better than to say anything, however.

She hoped, very much, that her precious daughter would grasp at her freedom, however short-lived it might be, with both hands.

"Be safe, my little Toph," she whispered, before rising and smoothing down her robes. Making her way to the entrance of the shrine, she waited, tranquil as always, as her maids came back up the path to fetch her.


	22. Summer

She sat, gracelessly sprawled on one of the stone benches that overlooked the koi pond, the skirts of the pale green and yellow robes she was forced to wear rucked up about her knees.

She hated wearing robes; you couldn't move in them without your legs getting tangled up and your arms stopping short of where they wanted to be, never mind taking an actual bending stance. She hated the headband she was forced to wear in her shorter hair; hers had a pattern of lotus flowers on it that she knew made her look stupid. She was too tall, too broad-shouldered, her breasts at fourteen already far too large to make her bodice lay smoothly the way it was supposed to be. Her mother refused to interfere with whatever rules her grandparents put into place during the summer in Gaoling but that was the one thing she'd put her foot down on. _You're not going to smash her breasts down like they're lumps of shame,_ she'd had Katara write to Grandmother, in response to a letter she'd written to Kya, complaining about it. _Lin is who she is and I won't have anyone making her ashamed of her own body. No binding. _Her grandmother had brought her the letter and shown it to her, and that was that. Her grandfather had said something the next day - Grandfather always had something to say about something, when it came to Lin - but her grandmother had told him, in a very firm voice, that Toph had decided and that as the girls' mother she had the final say. Grandfather had shut up then, although if the sour look on his face was anything to go by he wasn't happy.

Grandfather was weird like that. He seemed to care a lot more about propriety and all of the rankings of nobility than Grandmother did. Or maybe cared was the wrong word; she thought Grandmother cared, for sure. Maybe it was just that the ways of the nobility were so deeply bred into Grandmother that she didn't even need to consider them. The Beifongs were first tier nobility; they had a mansion in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se, even, although Grandmother disliked the city and rarely went there. Grandfather's father had been granted tenth tier nobility by Hou-Ting because they were stinking rich thanks to their mines and had given a huge gift of money to the Earth King himself. _Delusions of grandeur_ , her mother had once snorted with regards to Grandfather. It was from him that the earthbending trait had passed down, for sure; like the Hou-Tings themselves, first tier families simply didn't have earthbenders. It was considered common, or something like that. She'd read in one of the books in the estate's library that the royal family and the nobility would do away with any babies they suspected of being earthbenders, never mind having any sort of disability. She'd asked Grandmother about it, and she'd looked sad. _Yes, it's true, Lin,_ she'd replied. _But you didn't do that to Mom, though,_ she'd said, and Grandmother, her gentle, serene Grandmother, had actually looked fierce. _Toph was mine_ , she'd said and then refused to say another word about it.

The Ligao family had been invited for tea; they were only third tier, but outside of the Beifongs and one other first tier family that had a summer estate out here as well they were the best you could get, apparently. The oldest son, Yun, was about Su's age, and the two of them had been playing together before Su got it into her head that she was going to do an impromptu dance performance for everyone. The estate musicians had been called and there was Su, her shining curls held back with her headband, her robes seeming to flow as she moved her little fans about, enchanting the guests and Grandfather with her smile. She'd also gotten dance lessons every summer of course - that's what young ladies did, after all - but Su was actually really good at it, even she had to admit it. She'd been the one who'd found about about getting her lessons in Republic City last year, after all. Mom thought it was stupid, but she didn't argue, just told her that she'd be responsible for making sure Su was where she needed to be and that she'd practice, that sort of thing. She'd done it, too. She wasn't an asshole, after all. Su deserved the lessons.

Everyone had applauded Su and gushed about her to Grandmother and Grandfather and suddenly she couldn't take it any longer; she'd just slipped away before anyone noticed she was still there. Not that they'd notice her, not when Su was in the room. That's just the way it was. Her baby sister: prettier, more talented, charming, probably a better earthbender than she was. Everyone adored Su. Even Mom let her get away with murder, let her do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. 

Then there was her. The plain sister, the responsible one, the one without a sense of humor, or at least that's what Mom always told her. _Lighten up, Lin! Grow a funny bone or something!_ Mom always said, and then Su would chime in, _I'm funny!_ and Mom would just laugh, _Funny looking, maybe!_ and the two of them would crack up at each other as she sat there, as unfunny as ever. Good old Lin. The boring sister.

"Too much company?" Her grandmother's quiet voice startled her. She hadn't even heard her come up the path; Grandmother hardly made a noise when she moved. She usually had maids with her, too, but not this time. Grandmother smiled down at her as she scrambled to untangle her skirts and smooth them down. She stood up and gave Grandmother a hand to help her sit, holding her parasol for her until she was settled before handing it back to her. Grandmother never took a step outside without a parasol. Her skin, like Mom's, like hers, was almost translucently pale and Grandmother clearly took pains to keep it that way. 

Grandmother was, without any doubt, very beautiful.

"I wasn't trying to be rude," she said, and Grandmother reached over to pat the seat next to her; she sat back down obediently.

"A lady is always discreet," Grandmother replied, and adjusted her parasol so that it covered both of them. "You were very discreet."

She blinked. "Wait, you're the hostess. Aren't they missing you?"

"I was very discreet," Grandmother said, and her eyes twinkled.

"Everybody was busy enjoying Su's dancing," she said, trying her best not to sound bitter.

"Your sister is a very gifted dancer," Grandmother agreed.

"She's a very gifted everything," she muttered. Grandmother didn't answer that, just put a hand to her back to give her a little reminder to sit up straight. Grandmother was always after her to sit and stand up straight, which surprised her. You wouldn't think a lady would want to draw attention to the fact that she was as tall as a man but Grandmother obviously disagreed.

"Your sister is a very charming girl."

"If you're going to tell me next that I'm a charming girl then we'll both know you're lying," she said, slumping back down, only to get that hand on her back again, shoving herself quickly back up.

Grandmother was quiet for a moment. "Suyin is a very delightful girl. She's pretty and can both dance and bend and is quite accomplished in getting what she wants without a fuss." Grandmother met her eyes. "It is too easy for her to get what she wants. She takes advantage of it, even at eight."

She snorted. "I'll say."

Grandmother didn't mention the unladylike snort. "That is the problem, however. Suyin is usually focused on her own wants and needs and that makes her blind to others. Because of this, she is impulsive. She acts before she thinks, far too often, and then relies on her charm to get her out of these difficult situations she has placed herself into. I fear that one day her charm will not be enough. Dealing with the consequences of her actions is not something your sister does well."

She stared at Grandmother in surprise. She'd never heard anyone criticize Su before, not like this. 

Grandmother smiled. "Both of my granddaughters are loyal and loving. Suyin has a very generous heart. However, she worries far too much about how people see her. Outward appearance is important but it is merely a shell if you do not have inner integrity. And you, my Lin," and here she brushed her hand against her cheek, "have so much integrity. You are honest and forthright, and your sense of justice is keen. But most importantly, you are very observant. You see what is happening in the world around you and make your decisions based on that in a thoughtful and measured way. I admire this about you."

Her face went hot and her eyes started to prickle. Grandmother had never said anything like this to her before!

Grandmother's hand was still on her cheek. "One of the reasons I married your grandfather is because he also had these qualities. It is why our mines are so very profitable. He has very good business sense." Grandmother laughed a little, then. "And like you he is very stubborn. Too stubborn, perhaps, the both of you. It's why, I think, you do not get along." Grandmother leaned forward and kissed her cheek, her sweet honeysuckle perfume enveloping her. "You are a very good judge of people, Lin. In the end I think it will serve you better than your sister's charm will serve her." 

"I guess," she said, more than a little doubtful, but Grandmother just laughed again. Even her laugh was ladylike; she never whooped it up like Mom did, that was for sure.

"I very much look forward to seeing what my beloved Lin will become," Grandmother told her and then motioned for her to help her up. "But we should return now. Discreet is one thing, but a hostess being gone too long is simply rude." She got Grandmother to her feet and offered her arm, which she took. "I was thinking, if the weather is as nice tomorrow as it is today, that you and I could take the carriage and go for a drive during the afternoon. Just the two of us. We could even ask the cook to make us a little picnic. Your mother told me, in her last letter, that you have gotten quite accomplished with your metal cables, and perhaps you could give me a small demonstration on the way? What do you think?" Grandmother smiled up at her from under her parasol.

"Just the two of us?" She couldn't help her skepticism. As soon as Su heard about it she'd whine and pester them until she got to come along. It happened every single time.

"We will be discreet," Grandmother promised, and reached up to pat her cheek and for the first time that day, Lin smiled in return.


	23. Death

Dear Qi

I ain't very good with my letters so you pay no mind to how this looks. The time you read this you'll have gotten your schooling and can read and write just fine. I never got no school but there it is. I aim to see you do better than me.

Lu told me I should write you something afore I go. I guess you know even now how sick I be. Your little face is so worried all the time. More than usual you always were a worrisome little mite of a thing. Too serious for this life.

I don't know what I can tell you. I was born and raised up in the city just like you. My mother were also a whore and I don't know who my daddy be. It's hard to get out of this business once you're in. It's all you know and so after a few years on my back under my mother I decided I didn't like how she run things and I left. She weren't a very good woman. I worked real hard and when the old madame of this house died of the drink I took over. Cleaned some things up. Kicked out a few bad whores. Lu was there even then. She were a girl like me. Guess you could say we grew up together. Not that it was a good growing up or nothing but she could have become something if she'd left the drink alone.

You leave that drink alone Qi baby. It ain't no good. Opium neither. You stay clean away.

I guess you should know somewhat about your daddy. I didn't have no regular clients in them days I was too busy running the house. But something in him made me take him up to my room first time he walked in my door. You look mostly like him. Been kind of a kick in the teeth for me all these years. Ain't your fault though. You got his smile that's for sure. He threw that smile my way and made me fall for him the bastard. I knowed better then to do it but my heart just fucked me right over. Wanted him so bad I didn't even use the herbs like I should. I know better than that but I were weak and that's how you come about. Everyone said I should get rid of you in my belly but I just couldn't do it Qi. I wanted you. Partly cause of him but also cause you were so strong in my belly. You kicked the shit out of me you were wanting that hard to be born I could tell. Once had a healer tell me that a woman can get to knowing how her baby would be like even when it was in her belly and that were the plain truth. You knew what you wanted even then didn't let nobody boss you about. Never saw a child want life more than you did. That's why I named you what I did. You were like a force of life to me. I knowed even before you were born that you'd be someone. I'll be long gone and dead afore you ever see your way to being grown but it don't matter none. I know you'll be someone.

Your daddy were already married and had kids of his own. He were a watchmaker. Had a shop in the market district and I don't know why he come to my house. He weren't rich but he had enough to afford better. Guess he were ashamed of it and didn't want no one to know. He told me once his wife didn't like the things he liked in bed but that's how it be for most men who come here leaving their wives behind. Just after you was born I went to his house there but his wife chased me off. Can't say I blame her now but at the time I wanted to up and die. 

You listen to me. You were made out of love. On my part maybe not his I don't know. He told me he loved me but men will say just about anything when they got their pricks in you. You never forget that either Qi. But I did it for love. You weren't never no mistake not for me. You weren't never unwanted by me.

His name be Sang-Kyu and his people come from the Earth Kingdom. That's where he learned his trade. Don't know if he still be around when you get this or if you care but I leave it to you. You can make up your own mind if you want to look him up. If he's still about even.

I ain't been no kind of good mother to you Qi. I'm sorrier than you can know. All I wanted when you were a wee mite was to hold you in my arms all the day and night long. Didn't want to ever let go of you. But if I'd done it the house would have gone to shit and then where would we be? So I gave you to little Pensri to feed and told myself that I was doing you a kindness. But Qi my baby I regret it all. If I could go back I would have left it all behind taken you to the country where the air was clean and never let you go. I ain't no very good woman but I will tell you one thing my baby and that's I love you. I ain't ashamed to say so now. 

I found the school for you. I even took a day away went to go see it. It's pretty there ain't it? All trees and flowers and everything so clean and fresh. All them little girls there were clean and fat and happy. You be so thin and too quiet my Qi. I want you to eat good food and learn to laugh and sing. I know you're smart as a whip and I want you to learn to read and write and do your numbers. You're good with hands too like your father. You're good with a needle too. I don't want you thinking this life with me is what you should have. I want you to have better.

I thought I did the right thing by not treating you like my baby. I thought you'd be stronger that you'd be safer. I didn't want you to be ashamed of who you were. Ashamed of me. It were a mistake my Qi. I did wrong by you and I am so sorry. You got to believe me. It was never because of you. You were the most perfect baby that ever was. Qi baby I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. Please.

I should have already sent you away but I'm a selfish woman and I couldn't bear to be without you even for one day. Lu and Lan have been at me about it, told me not to leave it too late. I know they be right but my Qi I'm dying and it hurts so much and seeing your little face every day is the only thing that makes the pain go away. I hope you can forgive me for it later.

Some day little Qi you might have a baby of your own and if you do why you never let her go. You hold her night and day and tell her every single day how much you love her. You don't make my mistake. You be smarter than me you hear me? 

I love you. I love you. I'm sorry I didn't show you it were the truth when I could have. You are the best thing that ever happened to my life and I love you so much. 

You be a good girl my Qi. You live yourself a good life. I will watch down on you and give you whatever help I can when I go. I promise you this. My Qi. My little baby.

Your loving mother

Sayuri


	24. Superheroes/Supervillains

He heard the sound of Goba's wingsuit as he came into the room. The fabric made a strange sort of faint squeak when it rubbed together; you had to really listen to hear it but the room was quiet, the only sound the clink of the bamboo handles into the bowls that held the ink.

The needles ground into his skin once again and he breathed through the pain. _Temporary, this is temporary._ A cloth wiped away the excess ink, the feel of it on his hypersensitive skin another assault.

"Ba? Can I watch?"

"Yes, but don't distract Da. He needs to lie still."

"Don't distract Ba, either. He needs to concentrate," he said, keeping himself still.

"Okay," Goba said, his tone an exact replica of Huan's usual flat delivery of that word. _Okay_ from Goba meant it was fine, however. _Okay_ from Huan meant he was still trying to process what you were telling him. "Can I sit here?"

"Mmm-hmm," Huan replied, starting to get irritated at the interruption, he could tell.

"Goba, sweetie, don't talk to Ba. You can talk to me. It won't bother Ba." He cracked open an eye and could see part of what he thought, through the blur without his glasses, was the boy's knee and thigh. He was eating a moonpeach; he could smell it from where he was laying. "Don't get any juice or stickies on any of Ba's tools, okay?"

"Okay, Da." Another tap and grind and he exhaled out of it. "Da?"

"Yes?" He tried to keep his tone even for the boy's sake.

"Does that hurt?"

"Yes."

"A lot?"

"Yes."

"Did it hurt Ma to get her airbender tattoos?"

"Yes."

"Will it hurt me too?"

"Most likely." He saw no point in lying to the boy. He understood that you couldn't talk to children about everything but he disliked it when adults lied to children. "But that's a long way away, so let's not worry about it now, okay?" Another tap and grind; then wipe.

"Is the tattoo going to cover all of your back?"

"That's the plan. It just takes a long time. Ba can only do so much in one sitting, then my skin has to heal before he starts again."

Goba was quiet for a bit, most likely watching what Huan was doing. "Da?"

"Yes?"

"Yung said that big guy, the one Ba is drawing on your back, he said it was taller than buildings. Is that really true?"

"Yes, it's really true. It was nearly eighty-five meters tall."

"Is that taller than our mountain?" Goba was shocked, and he smiled.

"No, not quite that tall. But very tall, yes. Taller than anything else in Republic City, that's for sure."

"And that big thing on its arm, the one that made all the purple come out of it, it could blow up whole buildings?" There was a slight pause in Huan's grinding; he was listening, then. He made a mental note to rip Yung a new asshole later. He would have preferred to speak to Goba about this when he was a little older, that's for fucking sure.

"Yes, Goba. It could. It used spirit energy to do it."

"But Da, how come? Did you make it?"

"I did, yes."

"But Da, why did you want to blow up buildings?"

He sighed. "I don't have a very good answer for that, sweetie. I didn't really want to blow up buildings. I just wanted to prove to everyone that I could. I wasn't really thinking through the real life consequences of my actions at the time. I was very, very selfish."

"I don't understand that."

His smile was weary. "No, sweetie, I guess you wouldn't."

"Is this one of those times when I have to wait for my brain to grow before I understand?"

His eyebrow shot up at that. "Did Ba tell you that?"

"Uh huh. He said that my brain is still small and doesn't have enough room for every single piece of knowing yet. It has to grow more."

"Your Ba is very wise." Huan flicked at his thigh with a fingernail and he smiled. Definitely listening.

"Was Ma there too? In Republic City?"

He frowned. "She was. I didn't know her then, though. She was still a girl and we hadn't officially met. She'd met Ba, though."

"She was eleven," Huan said. Another stab into his skin and he took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

"But you were already an old man then, Da!"

Huan chuckled at that. "Very old man."

"Zip it, you," he threw over his shoulder and Huan gripped his thigh.

"So old," Huan whispered, clearly delighted, and he snorted. "Quit moving."

"Quit talking about my age, then."

"Da, is it true that you were in jail?" Goba was hesitant; nervous about asking. Oh, he was going to straight up murder Yung. 

"Yes, son. I was."

"How come?"

"Well, I built that huge machine and I built that weapon and it..." he faltered, not at all ready for this conversation. He knew he had to have it, he just wanted it on his own terms. And maybe when his kid wasn't five years old, either. Fucking Yung.

"Sometimes they put people in jail if they think they are going to do bad things and hurt people again. To keep other people safe." Huan's voice was calm, but he'd stopped inking.

"Is that what they thought about you, Da?"

He cleared his throat. "Yes, I think so." 

Goba was quiet for a moment. "Were you sad when you were in jail?"

"Yes. I was."

"Da, didn't you tell them you were sorry and that you wouldn't do it again?"

"Sometimes that's not enough, Goba. Sometimes sorry just isn't enough. Sorry wasn't enough for me." Fuck, this was worse than getting needles in his back.

Goba's voice was tearful. "Is my sorry enough when I'm naughty? Do I have to go to jail?"

Before he could say a word he felt Huan move. "No. They don't put little boys in jail."

Goba sobbed. "Are you sure, Ba?"

He shifted on the mat but Huan already had Goba in his arms.

"I am very sure. I only say things I'm sure about. You know that's true."

"But will they make Da go back again if he's naughty?"

"No. Da lives here with us now."

"Because I don't want Da to have to go away anywhere." Now he was gulping the sobs in and out.

"Goba. Sweetie. Come here to Da, come on. I'm not going anywhere. My home is here with you and Ma and Ba and everyone else, okay?" He tried to shift but Huan put a warning hand down on the part of his back that wasn't getting inked. 

"Here, lay down next to Da but don't move him, okay? He has to lay just like that." Huan shifted Goba to his side on the mat, and he attached himself like a little purple pentapus, smelling like a mix of moonpeaches, slightly dirty little boy and something he thought might be dry grass. "That's okay like that but Da can't move his arms."

"Hey," he murmured at his boy, and Goba nestled into his neck, not even reacting when Huan shifted one of his legs over to get it out of the way. "It's okay, sweetie. It's in the past. I did some very bad things and I'm very sorry and I went to jail and now I'm done with it." Huan gave him a warning tap with the bamboo handle before going at him with the needles again, piercing through his skin.

"How come you are getting your big guy you made on your back, then?" The sobs were starting to taper off, but not before Goba snotted a little on his shoulder.

"It was Ba's idea to do it."

"Ba, how come you are putting Da's big thing on his back?"

"Because he made something marvelous, something no one else had ever made before. It was a great accomplishment, and I don't want Da to forget it."

"But couldn't you draw it on paper? That doesn't hurt."

"The hurting is part of making Da feel better." Huan's hand rested on his lower back. "But that's one of those things that you'll have to wait for your brain to grow to understand."

"Oh. But can I see it sometime? The real big guy, not the one on your back."

He sighed. "No sweetie, they took it all apart. It doesn't exist any more."

"How come?"

"Because it was too easy to use it for bad, dangerous things."

"Things aren't bad," Huan said, before digging in again, making a muscle in his left side twitch involuntarily. "They're just things. But people can be bad, and they can make things bad, too. Sometimes some things are made at the wrong time and people can only think of bad things to do with them. Like Da's machine. Maybe someday people will be able to think of good things to do with it. But for now, it's too dangerous, and so that's why it isn't around any more."

"Could somebody else build one?"

"No," he said, and stretched just enough to kiss the top of his boy's head, ignoring Huan's warning smack. "I never wrote the plans down, I kept it all in my head."

"Nobody's smarter than Da," Huan said. "That's why he designs all the machines that help us and help the village."

"And people do good things with them?"

"That's right," Huan said. "Because Da is a good person who did some bad things but doesn't do them anymore. Now be still, both of you. I need to focus."

"We have our orders," he whispered, and was rewarded with another little snuggle.


	25. Flowers

"Girls! Time check," he called, leaning over to pick up a stray sock that had somehow found itself draped over one of the tables in the hall. "Half an hour before the tram leaves for school. And whose sock is this in the hallway? Orchid?"

Orchid popped her head out of her bedroom, a foam roller with a steel core unwinding itself out of her hair, leaving a perfectly round, tamed curl behind. "Let me see." As he proffered it, she shook her head. "Poppy's. Like I would ever wear something with a stripe, Daddy. Not to mention it's far too small." She shot him a look, another roller making its way out. Still in her dressing gown, as usual. Why a girl who had naturally curly hair would feel the need to put it up into curlers he had no idea, but gave it up as another one of life's mysteries that he was never going to solve.

"Shake a leg, you've got a half hour warning."

"Daddy! Please!"

Iris's head popped out from the bedroom next door, her own straight bob already neatly brushed and gleaming. She was dressed, a book in one hand and a half-eaten bun in the other. Typical Iris. The time checks were never for her, anyhow. "Has Mommy left already?"

He nodded. "She left before you girls got up."

Poppy thrust her head out from behind Orchid, a messily half-done braid clutched in her hand. Dressed, though. "Wait, where's Mommy?"

"She has a meeting at the West Valley mines today with Granny." Iris scowled. "We talked about it at dinner last night. You were there, remember?"

"Oh excuse me for living, _Iris_."

"I'll work on it and get back to you later."

"Hey, less bickering, more getting ready for school. Orchid? Poppy? Have you had breakfast?" At their looks he sighed. "Listen, I agreed to this whole every girl for herself breakfast in the mornings deal because your part of the agreement is that you would actually have some. If you don't then we're going back to a sit down breakfast together."

"Daddy, I don't have time for that in the morning!" Orchid rolled her eyes at him.

"Well, you better make time. Poppy, come out and I'll finish your hair for you. The two of you start talking and nothing gets done." He waited for a moment. "Hello! I meant now, let's move it! Clock's ticking!" 

Poppy flounced out of Orchid's room, sniffing as she pranced past him, giving him the best glare that an eight year old could manage. "Whatever, Daddy." He tossed the sock at her and she rolled her eyes as she caught it and tossed it back, a perfect imitation of her adored Orchid.

"Breakfast now and then I'll do your hair. Let's get cracking!" Ignoring her grumbles as she went towards the dining room he went to Rose's door, knocking softly and waiting for her to tell him he could enter. When she had he pushed open the door and sighed. She was still undressed, sprawled on her bed, the new poodlemonkey, Cuffy, in her arms. All of the girls had been devastated when poor old Bubbles had died two years back of quite advanced age but Rosie had been inconsolable, hardly able to get out of bed, sobbing for hours each day. It had been Nuo who had come home one day with the new poodlemonkey puppy in a box, her look daring anyone to say anything to her. She'd put the puppy into Rose's arms, smoothed down her hair, and told her that the puppy was scared of his new home and needed Rose, especially, to help him feel welcome. The look of wonder on Rose's face as the puppy had eagerly licked her had put all of the adults into tears, including Nuo. When he'd taken her into his arms that night she'd scoffed at him. _You know I hate those damnable beasts but what would you have me do? Leave her to cry forever? You're the one training it though, not me. This one better not piddle in my house._

His wife was a much softer touch than she wanted anyone to know. Especially when it came to their Rose.

"Sweetheart, it's a half hour before the tram leaves. Have you had any breakfast?" He sat down on the bed next to her, reaching out a hand to scritch Cuffy's chin. Cuffy was considerably less high-strung than poor old Bubbles had ever been, something which he was sure Nuo had managed to make sure of before she'd brought him home. How she managed it he had no idea but after nearly eighteen years with the woman he just took it as a given that she would.

"I'm not hungry," she said, closing her eyes and burying her face into Cuffy's fur.

"Rosie," he said, and sighed. "Tell me. Why don't you want to go to school today?" She shrugged but he didn't really need her to tell him. Hadn't he watched Huan be bullied and tormented for years? Baatar had done what he could to mitigate it, the way he knew both Iris and Orchid did for Rose, but kids were, in his experience, predatory animals when it came to other kids who were different. Never mind a good portion of the teachers, as well. He'd already brought up the idea of having Rose schooled at home, but both Nuo and Mom had been against it, claiming that the Beifong girls couldn't be shown to have any special treatment. Well, he'd bring it up again and this time he'd bring Dad in as reinforcement. Dad would do it, he knew, and contrary to what most people thought, when Baatar Beifong, Sr put his foot down the Matriarch of the city - and her indomitable daughter-in-law - gave way. Time to end this farce. People would talk, of course. People always did, and Beifongs were held to a much higher standard than anyone else in this city, he knew this. But he was done with Rose getting thrown under the tram for the sake of family pride and appearances. "I tell you what. You get yourself dressed, brush your hair and teeth and get some breakfast and you can stay home and study with Grampy today. What do you say?"

Her eyes widened. "You mean it, Daddy?"

"Hey, your old Daddy's an I Mean It kind of guy."

She threw herself onto him, hugging him. "Thank you, Daddy! Thank you!"

He kissed her cheek. "I want you dressed and breakfasted though, the same as your sisters."

"I promise!" She scrambled off the bed and went to her closet, Cuffy chittering as he followed her. He stood up and opened her door.

"Don't forget your breakfast, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy!"

He shut her door behind him and rapped on Orchid's door. "Twenty-five minutes! Are you dressed yet?"

"DADDY! HOW CAN I GET DRESSED IF YOU'RE BOTHERING ME?"

"I want to see your sunshiney face in the dining room in five minutes, my little grumpapatomus. Or else I'm coming to fetch you, you hear?"

"DADDY!"

He ignored that to go and check on Poppy in their small dining room. It'd been a real pain in the ass, quite frankly, to get his wife as well as all four of the girls to the breakfast table at the same time every morning. The girls had suggested that rather than trooping en masse over to the main house each day that the servants could bring a buffet style meal to their own house and set it up there. He'd expected his wife and mother to protest but to his surprise they'd actually thought it a good idea. The entire family, his parents included, ate dinner together every night anyhow; even Nuo refused any and all appointments that might interfere with that precious hour of family time. Poppy was there now, shoveling jook in while one of the younger footmen lounged in a corner, clearly bored out of his mind. He hoped the man was enjoying his lounge; if it had been Nuo that had caught him she would have let him have it. As it was the man stood up straight as soon as he saw him. He pulled a comb out of his pocket and grabbed at Poppy's head, quickly sectioning her hair and running the comb through it before he started to efficiently braid it. Poppy took a gulp of her tea.

"Isn't your class going to have a fire drill today?"

"Uh uh, that's tomorrow. We have to practice today, though. We came in second last time but I bet we'll come in first tomorrow, though!"

"You guys really want that winning ice cream, don't you?" He smiled.

"Yeah. Mister Dae says so long as we don't get distracted we can do it." 

"Oh yeah? And who gets distracted, then?"

"Not me!" He let her chatter wash over him as he quickly got her hair into long, matching braids, tying them off with some elastic he kept in his pocket. When he'd finished he kissed the top of her head. 

"Okay, you're done. Go and brush your teeth please. Scoot!" He glanced down at his watch. "Fifteen minutes!" he called after her retreating form.

He was just about to bellow for Orchid when she came running in, finally dressed, grabbing two buns and a teacup, the footman moving over with great alacrity to pour her tea, fumbling a bit as Orchid rewarded him with a bright, dimpled smile. He gave the man a dark look; Orchid was already a beauty at fourteen and she knew it, unfortunately. The man poured her tea and stepped back, however, expression carefully bland again. He made a mental note to mention to their Majordomo that he'd appreciate it if she had someone older and more experienced bringing over breakfast. The last fucking thing he needed was for Orchid to try and practice her flirting skills on the staff.

"Fifteen minutes, Orchid. Move it or lose it. That tram's not going to wait for you."

"Daddy! When have I ever missed the tram?" She stalked out the room, offended, stuffing half a bun into her mouth.

"Try the week before last," he said to the empty room, and sighed, smiling as Rose came in. Dressed, at least, although she'd forgotten to comb her hair and her tunic was inside out. Well. She was a work in progress. "There you are. Be sure and eat, okay, sweetie? Not just tea. After your sisters head off we'll go find Grampy."

Rose smiled at him, obediently taking a teacup. "I'll have some jook, okay?"

"Perfect," he replied, and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you in a bit, take your time."

Back down the hallway he went. "Thirteen minutes," he bellowed. "Is everyone's teeth brushed? And who left a brassiere out here? Orchid!"

"I get the blame for everything!" she called from behind the door of the bathroom. Iris came out and looked at the brassiere, half-kicked under a chair.

"Last time I checked I wasn't wearing lacy red brassieres," she said, and then frowned. "Wait, isn't that one of Mommy's?"

He bent down and picked it up, looking at it more closely. "So it is. Why the fuck is one of your mother's brassieres in the hallway on the floor?" He looked at Iris and then they both looked towards Poppy's bedroom door, ominously silent. "Poppy Beifong! Are you trying on your mother's brassieres again?"

"NO!"

Iris merely snorted at that, and took it out of his hand. "Here, I'll go put it back."

"Poppy, I'm talking to you." He waited and the door opened, but no little girl appeared. "You need to leave other people's stuff alone." He walked into her room, where she was standing, head down, avoiding his gaze. "How would you like it if Mommy came in here and just took one of your dolls without asking to play with it?"

"She wouldn't do that." Ah, there went the pout.

"No, and that's the point. She wouldn't because it's wrong to take other people's things without asking, and I know you know it. So I need you to stop doing it, okay?" He put an arm around her and squeezed. She'd been experimenting lately, furtively using some of Nuo's makeup and trying on her high heels, that kind of thing. It was killing him, she was still such a baby. "Don't be in such a hurry to grow up, hmm, Pop-Pops? You'll get there soon enough, and then you'll have brassieres of your own."

"It's going to take forever," she whined, and he sighed. Not long enough for him, that was for damn sure. All of his girls were growing up far too fast for his liking.

"It'll be here sooner than you know it. Did you brush your teeth?"

"Uh huh."

"You've got your schoolbag ready to go?"

She pointed. "Uh huh."

He poked her belly. "Got all your farts out before school?"

She giggled. "Daddy!"

"Hey, I have to check. Official fart inspector business, you know. Can't have any farts at school."

"But what if it helps me go faster during our fire drill practice?"

"Hmmm. Good point. Fart turbo thrust. I'll have to allow it."

Her giggles spilled out of her now. "Maybe tomorrow I should eat some cabbage for breakfast for maximum farts!"

"Oh, good strategic Beifong thinking, I like it, I like it." He'd make sure there was cabbage tomorrow, just for her. He hugged her and gave her a little pat. "Okay, time to head it on out, let's grab your schoolbag and go." Iris was already waiting in the hall, schoolbag in hand. "Orchid!"

She came sailing out of the bathroom, heading straight for her room, studiously turning her head away from him. "Let me grab my bag."

"Hold up there. Turn around, let me see you."

"Daddy! I'll be late!"

"Right now, Orchid." Arms crossed, she turned and glared at him. "Nope. Nuh huh. You march right back in there and wipe that lipstick off."

"It's not lipstick! It's a lip salve!"

"I don't care if it's from the hind end of a leechapillar, you aren't wearing it to school. We've had this discussion. You're fourteen. Go and wipe it off. Now, Orchid. I am not messing around."

"You don't understand anything!" she wailed, and stomped into the bathroom.

"The hind end of a leechapillar?" Iris raised a single eyebrow.

"I don't know, I improvised."

"That's gross, Daddy." Poppy giggled, and he made a funny face at her. "Hey, where's Rose?"

"Rose is staying home today."

"What? No fair!"

"Is she okay?" Iris frowned, looking towards Rose's room. He slung an arm around her.

"She's fine, just...you know."

Iris nodded. "I know. Do you think you can convince Mommy and Granny to let her study at home?"

"I'm going to talk to Grampy about it today."

Iris smiled at that. "That's a good plan."

He kissed her cheek. "Yeah, I know. Orchid!"

"I'm coming! You don't have to yell, Daddy!"

"Oh, if that were only the case, what a wonderful, peaceful morning that would be. Okay, everyone got their bags? Everyone got their shoes on? Hair in place? Last call for farts before school!"

"DADDY, PLEASE! You're so immature!"

He grinned. "Yep, that's me." He pointed. "Out! Tram is coming, make it - Poppy, don't bend at your sister! You'll miss that tram!" He planted kisses on three separate cheeks. "Have a good day! Study hard! Eat your lunch! Don't pick your noses and get caught!"

"Daddy! Why do you have to do that?" Orchid made a face at him.

"Come on, let's go." Iris shot a sympathetic look at him over Poppy's head and the three of them headed out the door. He checked his watch. Time to spare. Taking a deep breath he ambled back to the dining room for a well-deserved cup of tea.


	26. Wedding

"I have an idea!" Bhuti looked around the table eagerly, not that it mattered. Ba was staring off at who knows what while he toyed with his chopsticks; he was in the middle of sculpting something and had only come to lunch because Da had practically carried him into the galley. Da had her baby niece, Huxi, on his lap, feeding her little bits of dumplings while Ma kept reaching in to tickle her fat belly. Huxi giggled every single time Ma did it, too. She wasn't sure where Katara was but Tseten was sitting across the table with her five-year old nephew Yimu and his little brother Choden. Yimu and Choden's mother, Kelden, was off with Goba doing trade in one of the villages and Huxi's Ma, Hua, had gone along with her air bison as well. Bhuti had been hoping for the entire family but sometimes you had to take what you could get and run with it, as Auntie Bora always said.

"Excuse me, family! Perhaps you didn't hear me! I said I have an idea!" She raised her voice. Sometimes being ten was no good when it came to people listening to you.

"If this is about your idea to make sleds to slide all the way down the mountain then the answer is still an extremely firm no," Da said, giving her a frown.

"That was last week, Da. I have a new idea today!"

"Lucky us," muttered Tseten, and she started to stick her tongue out at him but sucked it back in at the last second when Da gave her a look of death. Da always, _always_ knew. 

"What's your idea, then?" Ma smiled at her. That was Ma for you. She was always ready to hear any idea you might have and usually would let you do them, too. Although even Ma had said no to the sled idea. She should have just done that one without asking first. Well, you live and you learn, as Uncle Yung told her the last time she'd tried to take herself airborne with a wind funnel and had landed splat on her face. She'd gotten two black eyes and stitches on her lip with that one. It'd been awesome. Painful, but still awesome.

"So! Here's my idea!" She grinned around the table, making sure everyone was listening. Everyone was but Ba and Huxi, but she could tell Ba later and Huxi was too little and didn't count. "I think we should have a wedding!" She sat back and beamed at the table. "Wouldn't that be great?"

Ma was laughing at her, but that was okay. Ma's laughter was never, ever mean. "Are you planning on getting hitched? Who's the lucky person?"

"I was talking about you!"

Ma pointed at herself. "Me?"

"Uh huh!"

Ma looked around the galley. "You don't say. Who's the lucky fellow? Or lucky lady?" She called across the galley. "Hey Bora! Want to get married? Bhuti wants a wedding!" 

Auntie Bora laughed as she came over to their table, her dishcloth over her shoulder as always. "Well, you might do for me." She leaned down to kiss Huxi and then gave one to Choden, too. Huxi was the only one who was really her granddaughter but Auntie Bora didn't care about that kind of thing. Nobody in her home cared about that kind of thing. It was nice. She liked it. 

"Listen, nobody up here ever gets married. And everybody else gets married! So why can't we have a wedding?"

Da smiled at that one. "This is about your cousin San and Amak getting married, isn't it?"

She nodded. "It was a really good wedding. Granny cried. Auntie Opal and Uncle Bolin and Auntie Mauja cried. Uncle Wu cried. And the cake was really, really good."

"When doesn't Wu cry?" Ba said out of nowhere. So he was listening after all. You could never really tell with Ba.

"Well, we could have a wedding up here and Uncle Wu could come and cry!"

"Airbenders really didn't do weddings," Ma said, still smiling. "Sort of a commitment ceremony thing sometimes, but not weddings. And even those commitment ceremonies weren't really legal or anything. You could break them at will."

"But Grandma and Grandpa are married though, right?"

Ma's eyes got a little bit watery, although she wasn't sure why. Da took her hand into his, though, and kissed it. "That's true, they are. And my grandparents too, come to think of it. Although I think that was mostly because of my Gran-Gran. Waterbender culture is big on marriage."

"Gran-Gran," Choden said, holding out his arms and Ma stood up and reached across the table, using her bending to help move him across it and into her lap. Choden was only two but he was a very serious baby. Ba said he was an old soul. Whatever that meant.

She pointed at Auntie Bora. "Auntie Bora and Uncle Yung are married too, right Auntie Bora?"

"Well, eventually. Three kids in." Auntie Bora and Ma clearly thought this was really funny because they were just whooping it up.

"Three and half, if we're getting technical," Ma said, and even Da started to chuckle at that.

She sat back and folded her arms, triumphant. "See? So you should marry Da and Ba, then. And we could have a big huge wedding and all the cousins and aunties and uncles could come up to us for once, and Grandma and Grandpa and Granny and Grampy and everybody else. And cake. We could have cake."

Auntie Bora laughed and squeezed down to sit next to her, ruffling her hair. She'd hate it if anyone else did it but Auntie Bora was okay. Da had told her once that it was Auntie Bora's way to show that she loved you. "I mean, you are actually grandparents now." She winked at Ma.

"Thank you for that reminder," Ma said, and leaned down to blow a little fart noise on Choden's cheek. Choden just sort of blinked at that, like he wasn't quite sure why it was going on or what he thought about it. He was a funny little guy, Choden.

"I like cake," Yimu said, and she gave him a thumbs up, which he returned. "I like cake a lot."

"Me too," Ba said, and smiled down at Yimu. Then he looked at Ma. "We could get married."

Ma stared at Ba, her mouth open. "Since...since when did you want to get married?"

Ba shrugged. "It might be nice. Then you would be my Little Bird and my wife."

Ma looked over at Da and he shrugged just exactly like Ba had. "Don't look at me. I told you years ago I wanted to marry you. You were the one who told me you didn't want to get tied down."

Ma opened her mouth again and nothing came out. Which was pretty weird because Ma usually had plenty to say. Auntie Bora apparently thought this was the funniest thing in the world because she started really laughing at that point, slapping her knee and pointing at Ma. 

"You never said anything after that," Ma said to Da, who sighed and then kissed her on the tip of her nose. 

"Ikki. I know better than to do that."

"I...well. I don't know," Ma said, and she looked around the table. "Wouldn't it be kind of silly, after all these years?"

"I don't think so," Da said, but he said it very quietly. Ba just looked at Ma and smiled.

"I just...I guess I would have to think about it..." Ma reached over and drank down practically her entire teacup.

"What's there to think about?" she said, and shrugged too, just like Da and Ba. "You should do it. Me and Katara could be flower girls."

"I want to be a flower girl," Tseten said, frowning, and she flapped her hand at him.

"Okay, and Tseten too."

"And me!" Yimu said. 

"And Yimu too!"

"Grandba, what's a flower girl?" Yimu asked Ba, who just smiled the big smile he made when he was truly happy about something. She loved it when Ba smiled like that, she really did.

"Well, if we did it - and that's an if," Ma said, holding up her finger, which Choden grabbed ahold of. "If we did it I am not letting your mother hijack it."

Both Ba and Da made matching horrified faces.

"I'd rather throw myself off the mountain," Da said, and Ba nodded very hard.

"Hmph," Ma said, but she was giving both Da and Ba looks out of the side of her eye. "I don't know."

Auntie Bora tousled her hair again. "What flavor cake do you think, Flower Girl?" Auntie Bora winked down at her and her heart felt so happy.

"Can we have more than one flavor?"

"Bora!" Ma said, scolding, but she started to laugh at the same time. "Stop it."

"We can have as many flavors as you like," Auntie Bora said and she chucked Huxi under her chin. "Talk her into it, you two," she said to Ba and Da, who looked at each other, Ba smiling with his teeth showing and Da returning it, putting his arm around Ma and squeezing her.


	27. Celebration

Everybody showed up for Ma and Da and Ba's wedding. Every single one of them, every single Beifong there was plus all of Ma's family and Uncle Wu's family, who technically weren't related (except for Untie Qi and Sayuri, of course) but nobody cared about any of that. Everyone came up on air bison and airships (except for cousin Naoki and her new husband the Crown Prince, and wasn't that something that the villagers wouldn't forget!) and Auntie Bora and Uncle Kwan's family - who were related to Great-Auntie Lin on her other side - came too on Uncle Wu's airship because _Why not?_ as Ma said. And then the Avatar and her wife showed up as well, along with some very tough-looking lady she hadn't met before but who was an old friend of Ba's and cousin Meili's birthmother, according to cousin Poppy, who always knew all the best gossip and shared it, too.

There were so many people on her mountain, so much noise and laughing, and Auntie Bora's mother and sisters came with Grandma and took over the kitchen and Great-Uncle LoLo went in there too and was making all of the aunties giggle and blush even though they were all so old and then Uncle Meelo came with Auntie Dolma and their little boys and Ba, who had been hiding, came and found them and started to move his hands about, talking to Auntie Dolma and cousin Gyatso in their own language. Even Great-Uncle Bumi came and he was ninety-nine years old! 

Bhuti had never been so happy in her entire life. She thought she was going to cry from being so happy when cousin Naoki grabbed her into a big hug, calling her Tail End. She called Naoki Old Lady; it was their joke, because they were the oldest and the youngest of their generation. Naoki had already been twenty-four when she was born! Grampy, Granny, Grandpa, Great-Auntie Kya and Great-Uncle Bumi found themselves nice comfy chairs out of the way and sat there chatting and cousin Pearl's little girl Emerald disappeared with her nephew Yimu and the whole mountain had to drop everything to find them (Granny found them with her foot, like Ba knew how to do, she said she had plenty of experience looking for children who didn't want to be found thanks to Ba) and cousin Orchid's very tiny little newborn baby boy was the sweetest ever and didn't even mind that he was being passed around from person to person so everyone could coo at him and they ran out of beds but Auntie Nuo and Auntie Bora organized it so that all the kids would sleep outside in the training courtyard in a big tent that Uncle Meelo and Uncle Rohan put together with Ma and the best part of it was that cousin Sayuri and cousin Pearl said they'd stay out there as well even though they weren't even kids any longer.

That first night the aunties in the kitchen called for her and Tseten to find everyone and tell them it was time for dinner and she found Uncle Mako and Untie Qi and Great-Auntie Lin hiding with Da up by the windmills and Uncle Mako gave her some candy from his pocket and told her not to tattle on them, which was really funny, and she already knew cousin Rose would be holed up in the library with Katara, both of them liked it when things were peaceful. Ma had said that they could eat in there if they wanted to, and they did. Dinner was noisy and chaotic and fun, and cousin Sayuri stood up and made up a very hilarious and slightly dirty poem right on the spot about dinner and everyone was laughing at her (except for Uncle Wu who said, "Sayuri Hou-Ting! Cease and desist immediately, my gracious!" in the most scandalized tone ever but he was still laughing a little, she could tell) and cousin Zhi's very handsome husband, Ping, stood up and bowed to the aunties and complimented them about dinner in that sort of flowing accent he had and all of the kitchen aunties blushed and giggled some more.

After dinner Uncle Wing and Uncle Wei grabbed Tseten and a few of the others to play kuai ball while Uncle Sitiak and cousin Tupilek who were waterbenders went to help the kitchen aunties do all the dishes and cousin Naoki and Prince Sozui made a huge bonfire in the middle of the training courtyard and Uncle Bolin and Uncle Mako had brought wine with them and they dragged some chairs there and Uncle Bolin and Granny bent up rocks for everyone else and everyone eventually came and sat around and told funny stories about old times and Ba sat curled up with Uncle Wu and Auntie Nuo and that tough lady, Yumi and Ma sat arm and arm with Auntie Jinora and Grandma. She started to feel tired and so she went and sat between Da and Grampy and she must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew it was morning and she was in the tent, sharing a bedroll with her nephew Choden and cousin Sayuri was singing some silly song about everyone waking up and everyone shouted at her to be quiet (except for cousin Gyatso who just kept sleeping since he couldn't hear her) and finally cousin Pearl went and sat on her to shut her up and that was so funny that she yelled, "Goat-dog pile on Sayuri!" and they all jumped on top of Sayuri, who was laughing, like she always was, but then Untie Qi stuck their head into the tent and just shook it and then rolled their eyes and said, "Breakfast's ready for anyone's who's hungry," and they all yelled and rolled off of Sayuri and raced each other into the galley and she won because she used an airball to do it! (They forgot about Gyatso but luckily Untie Qi didn't, they brought him in with them.)

That was the day of the wedding and the kitchen aunties and Great-Uncle LoLo and Grandma were already working on the wedding food and Ma and Ba and Da were off with cousin Iris, who was a lawyer and was doing some marriage paperwork with them to take back to Zaofu with her. But Grandpa and Goba were going to do the airbender commitment ceremony that everyone was coming to. Auntie Nuo got all of the various kids and some of the older cousins to help set up cushions in Ma's beautiful corridor, the one with all the stained glass windows that Ba had made for her before any of them were born except for Goba. It was a sunny summer day and everyone was different colors depending on where they were. Ma wanted the ceremony there instead of in the temple because she loved it so much. Auntie Jinora was putting incense around the corridor and then Uncle Rohan came to get her and a bunch of the airbenders went to collect flowers all around the mountain and from the valley to decorate everything as well. Everything smelled so good and Goba went and rang the gong and people started to come in and sit down and everyone was talking and laughing and all of the airbenders had on their robes instead of their wingsuits and suddenly there was a hand in hers and it was Katara, smiling down at her. "Let's you and I go up to the front, okay?" Katara's black hair was finally long enough to pin up after getting shaved off for her tattoos and she was wearing the hairstick Ba had made for her that had the bees on top. Katara loved her bees. 

All of the airbenders that were there started to bend the incense around the corridor and then Goba and Grandpa came and took their places and Tseten came in first, throwing flower petals everywhere, followed by Yimu throwing flowers as well. Huxi was sitting with Auntie Bora but started to fuss and Uncle Yung quickly ran over and grabbed her and took her back with him, laughing as she waved her hands around, trying to help bend. Nobody minded if the babies cried. Babies cried, that's just what they did. Everyone from up on the mountain was there as well, Uncle Tadayo with his flute to play during the ceremony and Auntie Mauja and Uncle Sonam and all the rest, come to show their love for her parents.

Ma and Ba and Da came in. Ma was wearing her formal robes and her beautiful cloak of office, her hair crowned with flowers. Da was wearing a brand new chupa and shirt and trousers, he looked so very handsome. Ba was wearing a new chupa, too, but his was in all rainbow colors like Ma's corridor and he had on lots of jewelry, rings and earrings and necklaces and all kinds of different things in his hair. Ba always liked to look colorful and fancy. They walked up towards Grandpa and Goba and Ma caught her eye and winked at her and she winked back, which made Ma laugh just a little bit.

Grandpa started the ceremony and Grandma and Great-Auntie Kya started to sniffle and she looked and Granny was starting to sniffle as well, and it was very, very satisfactory. And then Uncle Wu started in - he was always the best crier, Uncle Wu really cried with gusto, as Ba always said, he really let loose - and before he could pull out his own hankie Ba ran over and whipped out a huge hot pink and bright green hankie from his own pocket and handed it over, and Uncle Wu made this expression like _I can't possibly even touch this_ and Ba said, "There, you can snot into that and be memorable, Wu," and Uncle Wu flapped it at Uncle Huan and said, "Oh go and get married and leave me be, gracious," and then honked his nose right into it.

Uncle Wu cried the _entire_ ceremony. It was everything she could have dreamed of.

Grandpa got all choked up but Goba hugged him and took over when Grandpa couldn't speak any longer, smiling and smiling, and first he did the words for Ma and Ba and then for Ma and Da and plenty of people were crying now (even Katara a little bit) and at the end the bell from the temple started to ring (she found out later that Uncle Meelo had slipped out and rang the bell from there with his bending - he was a very powerful airbender!) and then there was more crying and Ma kissed both Ba and Da and then cousin Zhi pulled out his camera and took photographs of everyone as the flower petals went flying all over the floor, catching in people's clothes and hair.

There was such a big party afterwards, with all the wedding food and the great big beautiful cake that Auntie Bora wouldn't let anyone else but her touch, and Uncle Wei had brought lots of records for their phonograph and they played those and people danced and Da came for her and let her stand on his feet while he whirled her around the floor and when the song was done he pulled her up into his arms and said, into her ear, "This was the best idea you've ever had. Thank you, Bhuti," and she hugged him so tight she almost strangled him and he kissed her and then Ba was there, and put his arms around both her and Da and kissed her as well and then Ma was there, laughing as she kissed all three of them and then Goba threw his arms around them and Katara, too and Tseten shoved his way in and they had a big, huge happy family hug.

The party lasted into the night and spilled out all over the mountain, the sun late in the sky, people laughing and talking and dancing and eating until they popped. She dove in and out and around the crowds, snuggling with Granny for a time, having fun when cousin San showed her how to waltz to one of the old records that Grampy said he and Granny had loved when they were young and courting, running about and playing tag with the other kids, getting shooed out of the kitchen and sneaking more cake anyhow. Eventually she was so tired that she just sort of dropped where she was, and that's where cousin Bu found her, hoisting her up and carrying her to the tent, putting her next to little cousin Emerald, who was already asleep and snoring up a storm but who cuddled right into her and that was nice, too.

She was so tired but she was so happy, even happier when she remembered that everyone was going to be here for a week, visiting and going to the midsummer festival in the village, which was starting tomorrow. She and Ma and Goba and Katara would do the airbending dance and maybe Auntie Jinora and the rest would join in. And maybe Uncle Sitiak would beat Uncle Kwan's unbeatable record in the strongest man competition.

There was nowhere in the world better than her own home, she knew it, and she fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	28. Family

She stuck her head in the door of Huan's studio and looked around; no child or goat dog, but rather one brother knee deep in something that looked like a very large metallic ruffle and the other brother, drafting pen in hand, scowling at what looked like a set of plans. The sliding door between the studio and Baatar's office was wide open, however; always a good sign that they were both in at least marginally receptive moods.

Neither acknowledged her presence.

"Goba's not in here, is he?"

Baatar looked up, frown easing off a bit. "Hmm?"

"I'm looking for Goba. He disappeared after breakfast and we were supposed to be doing a lesson."

He stretched his neck to each side. "He's not up here. Where's Junior?"

"With him, I'm assuming." She scoffed. "This is some sort of retribution for all the times I skipped out on my lessons, isn't it?"

"You said it, not me." He grinned at her and motioned her over. "I should probably take a little break anyhow."

"What are you working on?" She peered down at his plans but, as usual, couldn't really make heads nor tails of them. Blueprints were not her thing, for sure.

"Ah, these are Kwan's notes on my plans for the sewage system in the village, I had him check them through. It's always good to get a fresh eye, saves having to fix any stupid mistakes later." He reached an arm out and pulled her close. He tapped at a note that wasn't in his precise, symmetrical writing. "Such as that stupid mathematical error I made right there. I can't tell you how many times I've reviewed the damn thing and still missed that." 

"It's almost as if you aren't perfect!" She widened her eyes and gasped, hand to her mouth, and he smirked at her.

"Smartass." He tugged at her until she sat down in his lap, burying his nose into her hair. "Fuck, I don't want to look at these plans any more today."

"Then don't!"

"Just like that, hmm?"

"We could go for a ride on Blue," Huan said, not bothering to look up from his sculpture. "Goba and Dolly could come along, get some exercise."

She leaned up against Baatar. "You know, that's not a bad idea at all. Goba's flown her around the temple but not any farther. It'd be good practice for both of them."

"You could go with him on Dolly, Baatar or I can steer Blue." Huan glanced at them at that. 

She tilted her head back into Baatar's chest. "What do you say? We wouldn't go too far, Dolly and Goba are still building stamina. Maybe over to the next valley, we could land, let them have a little rest, and then come back with them?" She smiled at Huan. "It's a good plan."

Baatar was wavering, she could tell, so she bumped back into him. "Come on, you know you want to. We can bring Junior too, you know how much she loves going for a ride."

"Fine, you sold me. I'm sick of being indoors today anyhow." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "You go scare up Goba, Huan can start to get Dolly and Blue ready, I'll go wheedle some food out of Bora. If we're going, we may as well have a little picnic."

"Hold up with saddling Dolly, though, let Goba do it. He needs the practice. We don't need to bother with Blue's saddle though, if the two of you are fine with riding on her neck." She smiled. "Can you find him for me, Huan?"

Huan stepped away from his sculpture, closing his eyes and stamping his bare foot to the ground. He was still for a moment and then his eyes flew open, his face going slack as he stared at Ikki. His breathing started to intensify.

"Huan! What is it?" Baatar stood up so quickly she had to catch her footing. "Is it Goba?"

Huan shook his head sharply, still staring at Ikki, his fists clenching together to keep his hands from moving as his eyes started to blink rapidly. Baatar made his way over to him, brow furrowed.

"Huan! Hey, tell me what's going on. What's upsetting you? Is someone missing? Hurt?"

Huan's mouth opened but nothing came out, his nostrils whitening in his distress. Something wasn't right, and she exchanged a worried look with Baatar. "Huan, what is it? Can you please tell us? We want to help." She started to walk towards him and he slammed his foot down again, catching his breath and then whimpering.

"Huan." Baatar's voice was gentle, and he was careful not to touch his brother. "I know it's hard for you right now but if there is an emergency we need to do something about it. Is there an emergency?"

Huan shook his head wildly.

"Okay, that's good. Is anyone hurt?" Another head shake. "Missing off the mountain?" Another head shake. 

"Is there someone here who shouldn't be?" She held her breath, waiting for him, but he shook his head again. She and Baatar exchanged another look. _What is it?_ she mouthed, Baatar making a helpless gesture with his hands in return. Huan closed his eyes and stamped his foot again; after a short pause he did it again before opening his eyes. Taking a few steps, he went to his knees in front of her and, to her shock, started to cry.

"Huan!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Baatar crouched down to the floor next to him. "Hey, Huan. Hey." He reached out a hand but then pulled it back. "Is it Ikki?" 

Huan nodded, tears still dripping down his cheeks, staring at the floor.

Now she was starting to panic. "Is something wrong with me? What's wrong with me?"

"Huan." Baatar was keeping himself calm, but she could tell it was with an effort. "We don't understand and you're scaring us. I know you aren't trying to do that and I know you can't speak right now, but can you try and show me so I can guess?"

Huan reached up one shaking hand and put it across her stomach, hitching in a breath and looking up at his brother, pleading. Baatar stared back at him for a moment, clearly trying to puzzle it out, before his eyes flared open and he sat right back, landing on his ass with a solid thump. "I...I mean..." He stared up at her, incredulous. "Huan, are you sure?" He immediately brushed that off. "No, of course you are."

"I swear to Raava I am going to scream if you two do not tell me what is going on, right now!" Her voice rose into nearly a shriek, and Huan's hands automatically went up to cover his ears as he winced.

Baatar took in a deep breath. "I believe Huan is trying to tell you, in his own way, that you are pregnant."

Huan nodded at this, but kept his hands over his ears.

"I beg your fucking pardon?" She stared down at the two of them. "Oh, I don't think so."

Huan nodded even more at this and looked at Baatar, who was starting to smile. "He's never wrong about this kind of thing, you know he isn't, Ikki."

"Well. I can think of several reasons why that can't be." She raised up a hand. "One! I haven't felt sick!"

"Not every woman feels sick, Ikki. Look at Bora."

"Oh." He had a point there. "Okay, two! I haven't really gained any weight!"

"If you're still early along that's not that unusual." His smile was getting bigger and bigger.

"Hmph." She tried very hard to think of another reason. "Well! I don't feel pregnant!" Her chin went up. "What do you have to say to that?"

She could see him calculating in his head. "You haven't had your period lately, have you? We've been so busy I haven't really been paying as much attention as I should."

"Since when did you become the pregnancy guru?" She pointed at him. "Stop smiling at me! I'm sure it's just gas or something!"

"Heartbeat," Huan whispered, and then placed his forehead gently against her belly. "Baby. Baby. Baby."

Now the other damn Beifong was getting into it, whipping off his glasses and wiping at his tears. "Oh, don't you start with this!"

"Ikki," he said, and took a slow, deep, shuddering breath. "Oh, Ikki. I'm just..." He got right up there next to his brother and splayed a hand against her belly. "This is good."

"Well, tra-la-la, good for everyone who isn't, you know, the one doing this!" She fisted her hands onto her hips. "I'm not sure how I'm feeling about this!"

Baatar leapt up, grabbed her up into a princess carry, spinning her in a circle, Huan dodging out of the way. "I'm...oh, Ikki. Ikki. Ikki!" Huan stood up as well, still not really speaking, but finally smiling a little as his hands fluttered. "It's good news, right Huan?" Huan nodded, and grabbed her hand, squeezing. "Change of plans. We'll go to the village instead, we can take you to see the midwife, she can give us a better time estimate, make sure everything's okay." He put her down gently, frowning a bit. "Can you still ride Dolly? Would it be better for you to sit on Blue's saddle?"

She gasped, outraged, practically jamming her finger into his face. "Oh no you don't. Don't you dare! You aren't going to be the boss of me, I don't care if I have five babies in here!"

Huan blanched at that. "Too many."

Baatar just waved that off. "Huan, you go find Goba, I'll go get Dolly and Blue ready, you can join us when you find him."

"Oh? Is this how it's going? What about me, then?"

Huan walked over to Baatar's desk and silently proffered her the half-drunk glass of water that was sitting there, and she took it automatically, staring at it. He motioned at her to drink it, and she snorted. "I don't want it." Huan scowled, eyes narrowing down.

"Okay, let's get cracking." Baatar started to walk off with purpose, and she trotted after him.

"You! You come back here right now! I didn't agree to all of this! To any of it!"

"Baby," she heard Huan say again, and when she looked back at him his smile was so sweet and happy that she started to cry a little herself.


	29. Height Difference

If there was something worse than being the baby sister - and Poppy really couldn't think of much that was worse - it was that out of all of them, she was the only one as short as Mommy.

It was completely unfair. Iris was nearly as tall as Daddy and while Orchid wasn't quite as tall she'd still inherited Mommy's glorious figure. Rose was sort of a happy medium between both Mommy and Daddy's sides of the family. But her? Poppy? The afterthought of the infamous Flower Garden? She was short and she was built like Granny and Auntie Opal, which was to say, not built like much at all. It was a huge pain in her ass. How many times, when she was at university in Republic City, had she been mistaken for a lost kid, wandering about the halls? When she was interning at Future Industries people had assumed she was Meng-Meng's young daughter instead of an adult woman with a business degree under her belt. She'd tried everything; cutting her hair into the latest style, wearing cosmetics, dressing in more conservative adult clothing, even wearing heels the way Mommy did. Nothing helped. It infuriated her.

At least, when she'd finally returned to Zaofu, people there knew she was an adult. Even if they still remembered her as a child and had a tendency to chuckle and dismiss her. She'd tried for years to somehow channel Mommy's unforgettable force of personality but it was Iris who'd gotten her intensity and drive to succeed. Even Orchid, who was beautiful and charming on the surface, had a core of cold, hard steel, ruthlessly taking advantage of people underestimating her. Rose, of course, was nothing like Mommy; she was shy and kind and kept to herself but Rosie was Rosie. Everyone loved her.

What she had inherited, in spades, was the Beifong temper and stubbornness.

She'd picked rebellion as her way to stand out but even that hadn't worked out for her. Mommy had never blinked an eye at even her most outrageous stunts and Granny had openly delighted in them. Grampy and Daddy had been patient and loving; the more she acted up, the more affection they gave her. Her sisters would just roll their eyes and metaphorically pat her on the head. And in any case, she couldn't begin to compare with Pearl, who had dropped her infant daughter in her parents' laps and headed off again, refusing to do anything that was expected of her, without giving a damn what anybody thought of her. Pearl was the real deal; she was, as always, just a pale shadow. The problem with her was that she had always cared, far too much, about what people thought.

She'd been shocked when Mommy and Granny had sat her down and told her that they wanted to transition the Beifong mines as well as the refineries into her hands. _You're the one who graduated top of your class and worked for two years under Meng-Meng,_ Mommy had said, and Granny had nodded. _I have utter faith in you,_ Granny had said. _You've got all the business smarts my grandfather had._ When she had told them, more than a little overcome with emotion, that she wouldn't let them down, Mommy and Granny had exchanged a look and both of them had hugged her. _I never for once thought you would,_ Mommy had said, and her proud smile had made her feel like she could take down mountains if only Mommy and Granny were behind her.

Which is why she was sitting in the Beifong's private train car, hurtling across the miles, reading again through the briefing for the West Valley Mine. It wasn't good; the mine had been slowly leaking money for years. Production was down, employee turnover was at utterly unacceptable levels and if she couldn't turn it around they'd have to consider shutting the entire thing down. The old general manager had finally retired about four months prior; her replacement was, as she understood it, young and if the complaints being sent to her mother were any indication, really pissing off all of the old guard there. Which could go either way, actually. 

If there was one thing she'd learned in her time at Future Industries, employee satisfaction was what made or broke a business, mining being no exception. The salaries for the workers at West Valley were considerably less than the salaries at their other four mines and that was most likely a big chunk of why employees were leaving in droves. Who the fuck else knew what was going on there? Well. She'd know. Her mother was incredible at running a city but business had never been her area, and Granny was no better. But this was what she did, and she was going to make sure she did it right. 

She was a Beifong, after all. These mines were her family's legacy.

There was a jeep waiting for her at the nearest train station, driven by a man she quickly identified as one of the floor supervisors. She frowned. Why was he picking her up instead of doing his job? It became clear within minutes, however, as he immediately started in on complaining about Jai, the new general manager. Too young, too radical, too disrespectful of how things had always been done. She paged through the brief again and found his resume. He was a few years older than she was; both of his parents were miners at the River View mine but he'd gone on to study business at Ba Sing Se university, graduating and working there in the city for a couple of years before applying for the job at West Valley. Interesting.

They finally arrived and she made her way out of the jeep, trying to keep her balance in her heels as she walked across the unevenly packed dirt to the above ground mine offices. She'd dressed in all of her business attire in order to make a good impression but was already regretting it. She should have stuck to more practical clothing even if it would have made her look younger. She opened the door and walked in, surveying the office. It, at least, was clean and organized, free of any clutter but a single teacup on the desk, books shelved and papers neatly stacked, file cabinets closed and apparently labeled, as far as she could tell. The floor manager told her he'd call down for Jai and realizing there was no other chair, she took a seat behind the desk, glancing through one of the files there. It was a prediction for next quarter's earnings and the news wasn't good.

"That's my desk."

She glanced up to see a man standing in the doorway. He was tall; not quite as tall as Zhi but a little taller than her grandfather and her eldest uncle. He had warm brown skin a few shades darker than her own, dark brown hair that curled and his eyes were the golden brown of tourmalines. He was so handsome she merely blinked at him for a moment, trying pull herself together. "Technically it's my desk."

He scowled. "I was told the Beifongs were sending someone today. I take it that's you?"

She stood up and held out her hand. "Poppy Beifong."

His eyes dropped down as he took her in. She thought, if she stood next to him without her heels, that she'd hit his armpit. Ridiculous! "I see."

She raised an eyebrow at that, continuing to keep her hand out. If he thought he could scare her off with rudeness, he had another thing coming. Poppy Beifong wasn't scared off by anything. The sooner he understood that the better it would be for him. After a moment he took a grudging step forward - fuck her, but one of his steps would equal three of hers, at least! - and shook her hand. "Jai."

"So I surmised." She gestured around his office. "Do you not have a chair for guests?"

The scowl deepened. "I'm not running a club here. We don't do a lot of guests."

She merely sniffed at that and sat back down behind his desk, waiting to see what he'd do. With nearly a growl of frustration he stomped out of the door and returned moments later, towing along a box, which he plunked down in front of his desk, taking a seat. His knees were nearly to his ears, and she fought back a giggle. "So. I have been reviewing last quarter's numbers and they aren't good."

"So I'm to get the blame for my predecessor?" The man had a glare on him that could peel the paint off the walls. He could take on her Uncle Mako in the filthy looks department, and that was saying something.

"I'm not interested in blame. I'm interested in figuring out why and figuring out what we can do about it."

"And you think you can do that?" His tone was skeptical and she fought her temper down. She was used to people looking at her and dismissing her. She knew how to use it to her advantage. She was not going to let this man, despite the luscious curve of his bottom lip, get one up on her. So she merely raised her eyebrow again and chose to say nothing, a trick she'd learned from Untie Qi. Untie Qi always used silence to their benefit. He waited for her to speak and when she didn't, popped up from his box, arms crossed in irritation. "Look, I don't know why they sent you out. I mean, look at you!" He gestured at her impatiently. "Were you planning on touring the mine dressed like that?"

She had been, actually, but she wasn't going to admit that to him. "I had planned on meeting with you and going over the reports. I thought I would take a visit of the mines later."

He openly scoffed at that. "You think the numbers are more important than the people who work for you?"

"I do not, as it happens." She could feel her temper start to rise and she fought it back. "However, all the feel good tours in the world will accomplish nothing if I can't get to the bottom of why this mine is failing."

"Like any of you Beifongs give a damn about anything more than your yuan."

She was on her feet before she knew what was happening. "This mine has been operating for one hundred and eleven years. It encompasses three different pits and currently produces over 30 kilotons of copper a year, making up about fifty percent of all the world's supply of copper. There are currently eight hundred and sixteen employees working here and, as there is no refinery on site, all of the raw ore has to be shipped to the Jinchuan refinery." She moved closer to him. "Thirty years ago this mine was producing eighty percent of the world's supply of copper, had five times as many employees, and was turning over a steady profit. According to your latest reports it's not a matter of the mines playing out. There's still more than enough copper here. But employee turnover is beyond fucking unacceptable and it looks to me like former management was an ass-licking travesty." She jammed a finger into his chest. "The local area relies on this mine. If it closes, then this entire area will turn into a vast dust bowl as everyone leaves. I don't want that to happen. Do you?"

He stared down at her, eyes wide.

She started to pace. "I've been given the unenviable task of pulling all of the Beifong mines and refineries into shape. This mine is first on my list because it is, without any doubt whatsoever, in the worst shape of all of them. So you can either work with me to figure out why this is and how we can get its bloated, rotting carcass back up off the ground or you can walk out that fucking door right now and I'll find someone else to do it."

She stood there, fists on her waist, returning his glare with interest. How dare he! How dare he assume she was some little rich Mommy's girl, come here to play at businesswoman! He continued to stare at her as his eyes narrowed. He cleared his throat. "Eight hundred and fifteen."

"What?"

"Employees. Someone quit just this morning."

She threw her arms out. "Eight hundred and fifteen, then." For fuck's sake! "Is that all you have to say? Or are you full of excuses instead of ideas?"

He took in a hissing breath and the glare escalated a few notches. Any moment now she was going to catch on fire. "You want ideas? Fine. Based on my preliminary research I believe we could build a refinery here and use it for both copper as well as the cobalt being mined at the Toyo mine. We'd lose profit in the short term, of course, but if we could keep production steady it would pay for itself within twenty years. It's a long term prospect, of course..." he trailed off to stare at, if she wasn't mistaken, her mouth. Which was not smiling at the moment, not at all.

She frowned and started to pace again. "A refinery? Where, exactly?"

"I've drawn up some basic plans," he said, and tried to step around her to his file cabinet, catching himself and dancing around her as they nearly collided. "They're just rough, I'm no architect, no engineer, either."

She waved that off. "People can be hired as necessary. You're here to run a business, not build refineries. Do you have the numbers for me?"

His lip curled up in a sneer. "As you say, that's what I'm here for." She ignored that, impatiently gesturing for him to give her the plans in his hands. He held them back, however, glower undiminished. "Are you seriously telling me you aren't going to tour the mines today? People knew you were coming. They were expecting you."

Well shit. She took a breath in. "Fine. A short tour, then." He looked pointedly down at her heels; beautiful olive green leather, the t-strap closed with a delicate silver buckle, lined in poppy red silk. They'd been a going away gift from Untie Qi when she left Republic City. Beautiful, but completely impractical for just about anything. She couldn't bear the thought of ruining them, however. She bent over and unbuckled them, placing them on his desk. "There."

He scoffed, incredulous. "You're going to go in your stockings?" She tilted her chin up, refusing to answer that. She didn't owe this infuriating man an explanation of her fashion choices, that was for damn sure. "You can't do that. Safety regulations? There's no way."

"Then I'm not going to be touring the premises today." Her arms crossed as she met his gaze head on.

"Fine," he spat out, dropping the plans on his desk and striding out of the office without another word. She immediately snatched up at the plans, quickly glancing over them. It wasn't a bad idea, building a refinery here. It'd mean a quicker turnover, more profit, more workers, certainly. If they could make it work. She wasn't convinced that they'd get this mine back up to a point where it would justify it. He - that Jai - seemed to think so, however. She'd go over the numbers later, see if his idea had any merit.

He banged in the door, holding up a pair of battered boots. "Here." He dropped them down on the desk next to her heels.

She stared at them. "You...where did those come from?"

"I borrowed them." He looked at her feet, more than a little dubious. "They're going to be too big, but they'll do." A sneer. "Unless you can't bear to have shoes that don't match that fancy suit, there."

"Fine," she grated out, sitting down to lace them on. They were ridiculously too big; she was going to shuffle in them and look like a damn fucking fool. It would not be a good start with her employees, that was for sure. In fact, she thought it would probably make things worse.

"Here," he said, rummaging in a cabinet before pulling out a green t-shirt. WEST VALLEY MINE BADGERMOLES it proclaimed, with a drawing of what looked to be a badgermole holding a power disc. He shrugged, a bit sheepishly. "We have a league." He waved it at her. "They'll get a kick out of it if you wear it. I take it you play?"

"Seeing as my father invented it, yes I do." A smirk. "Better than you, I daresay." She took it out of his hands.

"Oh, I don't think so." As she started to unbutton her jacket he politely turned his back. 

"We'll see," she replied, pulling it on and patting at her hair. "There." It was far too big on her, but it was a t-shirt after all. He nodded, turning back with a green hard hat in his hands.

"You'll need one of these as well." She held out her hand and he gave it to her and she settled it on her hair, grabbing at it as it slipped. "Here, let me adjust it." She held still as he reached under the hat, fiddling with some sort of straps under there, tightening it. He was standing very close to her and, she noted, smelled more than a bit like cardamom. She stepped back.

"Fine. Let's go and take your tour. And then I expect to come back here and start talking numbers."

"As you wish, Miss Beifong," he said, with a sarcastic bow, and gestured her out.

"Damn straight it is," she said as she walked past him, biting back a smile as he furiously muttered under his breath.


	30. Pining

That day, the day after Opal Beifong's Last Night Party, irrevocably changed his life.

He'd just finished up with a client at the spa when the receptionist let him know that someone was there to see him. It was Kya; she took him for a cup of tea at a nearby cafe and asked if he would like to work with her for a few months, see what they could teach each other. He could hardly believe what he was hearing; he knew who she was, whose daughter she was. She told him how her mother had fought against Northern Water Tribe gender restrictions and how the love of her life, long since passed on, had fought against them as well. She'd encouraged him to think about it and get in touch with her in Republic City but there was nothing at all to think about. It was something he'd never dreamed as possible and he immediately accepted. He did feel some guilt for leaving his employer in the lurch like that but he was an independent contractor, after all. She could replace him.

It was as he was walking back to the spa, his mind spinning in circles, that he saw him through the plate glass windows. Carelessly rumpled black curls atop broad, muscular shoulders, not particularly tall but with that stereotypical solid earthbending build. He was leaning across the front desk, saying something to the receptionist. Unlike most of the citizens of Zaofu he was wearing a modern suit, Republic City style. It was, as he could see even through the windows, a very nice suit.

"Wei, stop it," the receptionist giggled, looking up as he came through the door. "Oh, here he is." The man turned laughing green eyes on him, a devastatingly charming smirk on his mouth as he gave him what was an undeniably transparent up and down; liking what he saw, the smirk turned into a broad grin.

"The infamous Sitiak. I heard all about you from my sister and sister-in-law." He put a hand out rather than bowing. "Wei Beifong."

This Wei was unmistakably a Beifong; he'd met several of them the night before and the man in front of him carried the look. He automatically shook his hand, despite his dislike of the custom. "My honor to meet you."

"No, the honor's all mine." He was a cocky one, wasn't he?

He liked the cocky ones, unfortunately.

"May I help you in some way?" He kept his tone strictly professional.

"Well, I was hoping for a massage. I'm a pro-bender." The man flexed a little. "We get pretty banged up. My sister told me you were the one to find."

He bowed slightly. "Unfortunately, I am unavailable today."

The man's eyes lit up. "Unavailable unavailable? Or I just need a little persuasion to squeeze you in unavailable?" He leaned a little closer. "I can be very persuasive."

That much was undeniably clear. He steeled his nerves. "I'm sure Thanh can find another masseuse for you." He bowed politely and quickly made his way back to his room before those eyes could wear him down. He needed to talk to the owner, clear his things out, pack up what little belongings he had in the small flat he'd been renting. Kya had offered a place on her and her brother's boat to go up to Republic City, but he had declined. He'd avoided boats for years. She'd told him she'd ask around, sure that one of the other guests going back home would have room for him. Worst case scenario, he could always take the train.

Hearing quiet, he ventured a peek into the lobby. The man was gone; with both relief and disappointment he approached Thanh. She was an inexorable gossip; she knew something about everyone in Zaofu and was always happy to share, something he'd taken advantage of more than once. She glanced up at him and laughed. "If it isn't the man that withstood Wei Beifong! You're a rare breed, Sitiak."

"Am I?"

She snapped her fingers. "I was in the same class as him and his twin, Wing and I swear to you, Wei's probably had half this city in his bed." A knowing eyebrow wiggle. "Well, half the male population, let me be clear."

His heart sank, but he kept his tone bland. "Oh?"

She nodded. "Oh, he has a reputation. Love 'em and leave 'em." She tapped her cheek. "He's in all of the Republic City newspapers, too. My brother Phuc runs the newsstand downtown, so I read up on him. Lots about his pro-bending but even more about his partying. Plenty of stories in the tabloids, lots of photos his parents probably aren't very thrilled about. He's really living up there." She rolled her eyes and motioned drinking. "Not that I'm sure he isn't a good pro-bender, all those Beifongs are pretty much the best when it comes to that. But he's quite the little playboy nowadays."

Why should he be so disappointed? A pretty, rich playboy thought he'd be the next notch on his bedpost. What else should he expect? _Get ahold of yourself, man,_ he told himself firmly. _You're too serious, too sober and far too old for a boy like that._ He shook it off and focused on what was important, asking Thanh to let the owner know he needed to speak to her.

Kya had asked the Matriarch's sister, Lin Beifong, if he could get a ride on Prince Hou-Ting's personal airship. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea; he didn't know any of those people, after all. But Madame Beifong had seen him as he approached the airfield and had confirmed that it was fine in a sort of brisk, no-nonsense way that had reassured him. He'd seen the prince standing there and immediately noticed his posture; the prince had told him during his massage that he'd had frequent headaches before he'd gotten his new spectacles. He'd also said, however, that the headaches were often accompanied by stabbing flashes of light and the sense of being cold, the pain so intense that the prince could do nothing but lay in bed in a darkened room until they passed. In his experience those kinds of severe headaches weren't caused by a need for spectacles nor even the kind of tight, clenched posture the prince had. In other words, it wasn't due to eye-strain or muscle tension. He didn't know the prince well enough to offer his opinion without being asked but he thought he might mention it to Kya, who he understood was a friend of the family.

He was discussing the prince's headaches with him when Wei Beifong arrived with his twin. Identical, of course, but he could see the strain that Wei carried around his eyes and mouth that wasn't mirrored on his brother. He could also see the telltale signs of a hangover; the reddened eyes, squinting to keep the sun out, the imperfectly shaved face, the slight tremor in his hands. He'd offered to continue to work on the knot in the prince's lower neck once aboard but the prince's husband had shown up and escorted him on to the ship, with a vicious glare sent his way. Did he think he was flirting with his husband? It happened that way sometimes when you were a masseuse, people didn't understand the unimpeachable line that separated a client from anything personal and assumed that professional interest was somehow sexual. He'd need to say something to the husband then. And also to the very angry woman - the prince's chauffeur? bodyguard? something more, surely, the way she was behaving - who had put herself between him and the prince, a dangerous look in her hazel eyes. That one, he'd need to be careful of. He knew feral when he saw it.

Wei tried to flirt with him again and he ignored it. It wasn't about attraction. The man was knee-wobbling handsome with his green eyes and black hair, the combination that had always appealed the most to him. Cheeky, too, and that roguish grin was raising his heart rate. But Wei was who he was; clearly a drinker, a dissolute manchild with a reputation that proceeded him. It wasn't what he needed in his life, not now and not ever. He was going to Republic City to apprentice under one of the greatest healers alive, not to have a one night stand with some gorgeous drunkard who'd forget his name the next morning and break his heart.

Been there. Done that. Was that, for a time. Never doing it again.

The Matriarch had stopped him for a moment, asking him if he planned on returning to Zaofu and he'd told her he wasn't sure what his plans were. She nodded and then turned to her son, hugging him and remonstrating with him to behave himself before putting her arm around his twin. He walked up the gangplank with Wei, ducking his head to make sure he didn't brain himself on the fairly low entrance to the airship itself.

"Alright, let's send it up," Wei called down, and his twin gave him a wave, the two of them putting themselves into identical positions as the gangplank started to close in on itself. Metal, of course. He moved himself out of the way but watched, interested. He'd been in Zaofu for a few months but hadn't really seen much in the way of metalbending. As it clicked into place, Wei grabbed the side of the airship, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. He opened them as his face changed; gone was the smirk, the flirtatious hand to his hip. He looked exhausted suddenly, his eyes glinting with the hint of tears. "Sometimes you just can't go home again," he murmured, sagging against the wall. He met his eyes and tried for a smile. "You know?"

"I know," he replied, before he could stop himself. Wei looked so sad, so vulnerable in the moment that he was hardly recognizable as the brash man who'd tried to ask for another massage just a few minutes prior. For one wild second he thought he'd take him into his arms, tell him that he'd take care of everything for him and he backed away, unnerved. What was wrong with him? He didn't even know this man and here he was, ready to step into his life and fix it. _Stop it, right now,_ he admonished himself. _You've been too long without any intimacy, that's all it is. You're just randy. Back away, and leave the playboy to himself._ He bowed slightly in Wei's direction and then walked down the corridor, towards the open doors of the salon where he could hear the prince talking.

"Watch over me, beloved Yue," he breathed before gathering himself together. He had a client - a patient! - to help. That was his dream, and that's where his focus needed to be, tormented green eyes notwithstanding. He hadn't gone through everything in his life, remade himself after throwing it all away, just to get distracted by a man who fairly screamed trouble. He squared his shoulders and smoothed out his expression before entering the salon.


	31. There Was Only One Bed

He hadn't minded the journey itself; traveling via Prince Wu's very luxurious private airship was a more than few steps up from Blue's cold, hard saddle, although Huan had been ill the entire trip and Bora hadn't felt all that well either. Blue wasn't able to make the trip due to her calves and while the now absent Juicy might have been their sire it was Spike who had flown in and taken over parenting with Blue. Spike had point blank refused to leave them to fly to Republic City and Ikki's brother Meelo had purposefully left his bison Curly up there as well so the airship it was.

The snafu at the Four Elements Hotel was doing some serious damage to the few shreds of equilibrium he was desperately trying to hold onto, however. Wu's airship had made better time then they'd planned and they were a day earlier than their reservation. The entire hotel had been booked by Wu and Qi for the month surrounding the wedding itself but the long and the short of it was that their reserved rooms weren't reserved until the next day and the hotel was completely full for the night with exception of one room, which wasn't going to work for all eight of them, that was for damn sure. 

Kwan had suggested that they could ask the hotel for foldaway cots and squeeze into the one room but that wasn't practical at all. He was going to ask Huan about his preference but found that he'd disappeared. Where the fuck had he gone? He started to ask around when Bora announced that Huan said he was going to sleep at Prince Wu's house. _Thanks a whole fuck of a lot for abandoning the rest of us, Huan._ He loved his his brother, he truly did, but sometimes he'd like to do nothing more than kick his flaky ass to the moon and back.

Meelo neatly solved the issue by telling Kwan to take the room while the rest of them stayed out on Air Temple Island for the night. He'd taken charge at that point and told the concierge to put the room and all related expenses on the Beifong tab (his mother would approve, he knew) and made arrangements for the hotel to keep all of their bags overnight and get them cabs to the ferry. Sometimes being a Beifong had its advantages; money, as ever, talked. Goba was doing his best but he was hungry and exhausted, terrified by the sheer noise and chaos of the city, burying his face into his neck and trembling. Mostly he just wanted to get him fed and make sure he had a quiet place to sleep that night. He wasn't thrilled at the idea of sleeping on the Island but Goba came first.

The ferry ride was a short one across the bay, the Island looming large in the distance. An air acolyte at the dock saw all of them on the boat as it neared the island and went scurrying back up the path, much to Ikki and Meelo's obvious amusement. By the time the boat had docked and Yung and Meelo had given pregnant Bora a hand down and were starting to walk up the path an entire troop of air acolytes came back down to assist, fluttering about them, treating Ikki, Meelo and Yung with an obsequious deference that reminded him of Tadayo's first few months with them. Tadayo had gotten over it, thankfully. If he had to live with this day in and day out it'd drive him over the bend. No wonder Ikki had skipped out as soon as she could.

There was an older woman waiting for them at the top of the path, a genuinely happy smile on her face, holding her arms out. "Ikki! Meelo!" She had to be their mother; Ikki looked enough like her that it was more than a little startling. Ikki threw herself into her arms, bending down a little to properly squeeze her, laughing as she nearly took her mother right out of her sandals with the exuberance of her embrace, Meelo adding himself to her other side, smacking loud kisses to his mother's cheek, making her laugh as well.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're both here," their mother told them, the tender look on her face so familiar that his heart squirmed in his chest. She was shorter and slighter than Ikki and considerably calmer but there was that snub nose he so adored as well as the matching cowlick in their bangs that Ikki tried to tame on a regular basis. She glanced over and stepped forward. "And you must be Lin's niece Bora? Welcome to Air Temple Island, I'm Ikki and Meelo's mother Pema."

"The one who's sent me all the recipes and such." Bora leaned down and hugged her; she wasn't one for formalities, Bora. Pema didn't seem to mind, however. "Thank you for everything. It's been such a help, you can't imagine."

"Oh, I'm so pleased to hear it. And hello, Yung! I see you've been keeping yourself busy up there." This was said with a laughing glance at Bora's obvious belly. 

"Bora swears it must be an airbender as much as it bounces around but we'll see," Yung said, getting a hug as well. "It's so good to see you, Pema."

She turned to gaze at him. "And you're Baatar, of course. It's so good to finally meet you." He doubted that, but before he had time to realize what she was going to do she'd put her arms around him as well. She wasn't tall; he had to either crouch down into her embrace or stand there with her arms around his ribs like an asshole, so he crouched, taking Goba with him into the hug. He was an asshole, but alienating Ikki's mother wasn't a bridge he needed to burn. "You're very welcome here," she said into his ear, patting him on the back. "Our home is your home." His eyes filled up and she immediately noticed; she was kind about it, however, turning to look at Goba. "And you're my little grandson, of course. Goba, I'm your grandmother. Your other Grandma."

"Grandma?" Goba gulped back a sob.

"Yes I am, sweetling. But you look very tired. Are you hungry?" He nodded at that. "Well, Grandma can help with that, at least." She met his eyes over Goba's head. "He looks pretty done for."

He cleared his throat. "He's never been to any kind of city before. It's all far too much."

Pema nodded, placing a gentle hand on Goba's shoulder. "We'll feed him and find him a quiet place to sleep." She smiled. "Thank you for coming and for bringing him." She glanced around. "Where are your things? And where's Huan? And Lin's nephew?"

"We left them at the hotel." Ikki explained as they walked across a beautiful courtyard to a large building that looked to be the family's residence. Other airbenders were appearing, calling greetings to those they knew, Bora being proudly introduced around, joining in with the good-humored teasing about her pregnancy. He wasn't introduced; a few made eye contact but quickly glanced away, uncomfortable. They all knew who he was.

He wished, near to tears, that he'd stayed home. He'd hoped that at least Opal would be there but Pema told him she'd already headed for home with his niece and nephew. He knew that she and Bolin would have taken him but he hated to bother them. He could just stay on the Island for one night. It wouldn't kill him. Much.

They were sitting on cushions at a low table, Goba on his lap as he tried to coax him into eating, Ikki and Meelo catching up with their youngest brother, Rohan, when her father and older sister arrived. He remembered both of them from the day they'd captured him as well as his trial; both had showed up there as well, although they'd never testified, just keeping watch. Jinora was an adult now; shorter than Ikki, smaller-boned, her brown eyes solemn. Her father was older - in his late sixties, as he recalled - and his eyes immediately went to the blue mastery arrows that Huan and Tadayo were in the process of inking on Meelo per Ikki's directive. By ancient airbending custom she had the right as the leader of her temple to determine who did or didn't get their arrows but that was only on paper. Her father was the one nowadays who had the say-so and Ikki had defied him by having it done. Tenzin's thunderous scowl was such an exact copy of his daughter's when she was really pissed off about something that he let out with a bark of laughter before he could stop himself, immediately changing it into a cough. Big mistake; now he was the focus of that truly terrifying glare. He opened his mouth to say who the fuck knew what when Tenzin's face gentled.

"Well, is this my grandson?" He easily went down to a knee, smiling at Goba. There were Ikki's kind eyes, the slightly crooked tilt of her mouth when she grinned. "Hello there, young man. I'm your Grandpa. It's very good to finally have you here with us."

Goba tried to rally through a yawn. "I'm an airbender, Grandpa. Like you."

The smile widened. "I've heard all about it."

"Ma told me about the wind gates. Grandpa, can I play in them?"

Tenzin laughed at that. "You most certainly can. I can't wait for you to see them!"

"After dinner and a good long sleep," Pema said, tapping at his bowl with her chopsticks. "Eat your dinner, Goba, and tomorrow morning Grandpa will take you out to play."

Tenzin ruffled his hair. "Listen to Grandma, she always knows best. Now this is your Aunt Jinora, would you like to meet her?" Ikki's sister had smiled and come to say hello to Goba as well before nodding to him and politely welcoming him to the Island.

They sat there for a few more minutes while Ikki's father and sister ate, Goba drooping lower and lower until he nodded right into sleep. Pema, who'd been watching him, smiled and said she'd take him to bed. He assumed they'd just put him wherever he was, but Meelo surprised him. "I can take him with me for tonight, Baatar. My old room?" he asked his mother and at her nod, he gathered Goba up and left, not looking behind him. Next was Bora, looking worse for the wear but gamely trying to keep up with the conversation until Yung helped her up and politely asked if there was a room ready for them. Pema gave her an arm and took them both out with her, telling her husband she'd get them settled and return.

The silence grew around the table as Rohan toyed with his food, Ikki looked everywhere but at her father and Jinora attempted some polite small talk but failed. Her father glowered before sighing. "So I suppose the tattoos were his idea."

"Mine, actually." Ikki met his gaze, her chin thrust out the way it always did when she knew things were going to get dicey.

"You had no right-" he started, voice building in volume, but Ikki cut him off.

"I had every right. My temple. My rules."

"Dad, we've talked about this." Jinora reached across the table to take her father's hand as well as her sister's. "You know that by tradition Ikki had every right to do it." She turned to look at Ikki. "And you knew what doing it behind his back would do to Dad."

He met Rohan's eyes; neither of them wanted to be there, but it was too late now. They were stuck.

"He earned his tattoos and so I gave them to him," Ikki said, returning her father's glare in force. "It's as simple as that."

"Ikki! I had my reasons-"

"You had a father's reasons, not an airbender's reasons." Ikki leaned forward. "He more than earned them, years ago. He deserved them."

"Your brother does not fully embrace the airbender way of life, Ikki! You know that!"

She sat back and crossed her arms. "None of us do." She and her father glared at each other, Tenzin's bald head starting to redden right along with Ikki's cheeks. She reached out and took his hand, her voice quieting. "Daddy. We can't be the people that Grandpa grew up with. That was two hundred years ago. The world has changed, so much, and there are still so few of us. If the Fire Nation hadn't wiped us all out who knows where we'd be today? But the point is, they did, and here we are, and Meelo's a part of that. We can't go back. We can only go forward. Keeping Meelo as an eternal child in our community because he won't bow and scrape to a bunch of dead traditions is not how we move forward."

"But the violence he espouses! I can't be a part of that! Our community can't be a part of that!" Tenzin leaned forward, trying to make Ikki understand. 

"Violence is what he grew up with," Ikki replied, with that strength of will he'd fallen in love with. "Amon, the Red Lotus...even Kuvira. Those were all people that targeted us because we were airbenders, the same way the Fire Nation did. Was the answer to just let them, for the sake of our oaths of nonviolence? Because those oaths of nonviolence were why Grandpa was left alone the way he was." She held up her free hand. "Daddy, I'm not saying we need an army. I don't think that. But we can't pretend that we still aren't on the verge of extinction. There are more airbenders than there were twenty years ago, but not that many. We have the right to defend ourselves if we're attacked and the only way we can do that is if we learn how to do that. Meelo isn't using any bending moves that weren't already around when Grandpa was a boy."

"He's just trying to weaponize them," Tenzin said, shutting his eyes and covering them with his hand.

"Kuvira's plan was to kick you off this island," he said, before he thought better of it. Tenzin lowered his hand and stared at him. "She wanted you out of Earth Empire territory. She assumed, based on your reputation and oaths, that you'd simply surrender and leave for the Eastern Air Temple. She didn't consider you a threat at all." He grimaced. "Not that she had any real idea what airbenders were capable of. I hadn't, until I saw Meelo and Ikki sparring with each other. Based on that I'm guessing in a real fight that airbenders would probably kick ass." Rohan flashed a grin at that before looking back down.

"We can and do defend ourselves if necessary," Tenzin said. "That's always been allowed."

"Look, forgive me for saying so, but that's not enough. It wasn't enough for the Fire Nation two hundred years ago and it wasn't enough for Kuvira or Amon or even Zaheer. Ikki's right. As long as you're dismissed as a non-threat then you can't be surprised if people come for you because of it." _Great. Good job, Beifong. Antagonize the man in his own home over his own bending._ Like the man didn't already loathe him.

"Daddy, I don't think Meelo's way is necessarily the right way. I agree with you, he wants to weaponize our bending and I don't think that's how it should be done. But I don't think just expecting the world to respect our beliefs the way that you hope for is enough either. We're not isolated the way they were in Grandpa's time, we're part of the world now. We have to adapt and change together. Denying Meelo his tattoos wasn't accomplishing that for anybody."

A tear rolled down Tenzin's cheek. "When did you get to be so wise," he said, gathering her hands into his. 

"Probably the yak butter they put in their tea up there." A man he recognized from all those years back as Ikki's uncle came from the doorway and made a face. "That was just nasty." Bumi made a bow his way. "Well, if it's not the other Beifong brother shtupping my niece. Good to see you without a sack over your face."

"Uncle Bumi," Jinora said with a pained look. Rohan started to laugh, trying to push it back in when she jabbed him in the side.

"Right, right, too soon?" He turned to a little blue bunny spirit who had drifted in with him. "Nobody around here has a sense of humor but me and you, Bumju."

"Uncle Bumi," Ikki said with a giggle, jumping up to throw her arms around him; despite his age her uncle gave her a twirl in the air.

"It's good to see you, chatterbox. Did you bring that little boy for me to finally meet?"

"I did, but Meelo took him to bed."

Bumi whispered very loudly. "Did your father catch sight of the you-know-whats yet?"

"Her father did." There went that glare again. He supposed it was kind of comforting to know that he and Wei would still be capable of glaring at each other when they were in their seventies as well. "Bumi, did you have any part in that? Because we've had that discussion-"

"Whatever discussion it is, please lower your voices so you don't wake up the house," Pema said, coming back into the room, and both brothers immediately shut up. "I know you'd like to keep them up all night talking but Ikki and Baatar have had a long day and I'm sure they're exhausted." She turned to Ikki. "I've put you in your old room. The bed is a little on the small side but the two of you will manage for one night." She smiled over at him. "I've left a toothbrush and such for you and towels as well, if you want to take a wash. I just peeked in and Goba's sound asleep, with Meelo right next to him. Is there anything else you need?"

"Uh...no. Thank you." He sat there, awkward, not quite knowing what to do with himself.

"Thanks, Mom." Ikki hugged her and kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry not to catch up more, Jinora, but I think I'm going to drop here pretty soon."

Jinora stood and hugged her. "Don't worry about it, you're here for a nice long visit. We'll catch up later."

Ikki yawned and belatedly covered it. "And there I go. Okay, we'll say our goodnights then. See you all in the morning!" She motioned for him and he stood, grateful for the prompt. He gave a sort of half-hearted wave and a mumbled good night before letting her pull him down a long hallway.

"They aren't going to be in the same room!" Her father was outraged; he didn't hear her mother's reply but her father wasn't quite done yet. "Well, put him somewhere else! Pema, I-" Whatever else he was going to say was cut off to the sound of an indignant sputter.

"Yikes," Ikki whispered, trying not to laugh as she opened ornately decorated rice paper doors. He could hear what he assumed was Meelo and Goba snoring to the other side. She closed them behind her and yawned again. "It was a nice thought of my mother to leave us towels but all I want to do is crash. Do you care if I don't brush my teeth?"

"So long as you don't care if I don't brush mine."

She crossed the room cautiously before finding the lamp on the bedside table, toggling it on. "When I was a kid we didn't have electricity over here, but it got wired not long before I left. Hooked up to a generator, although it still goes out a lot when there are storms."

He frowned. "The wires should be grounded to compensate for that. Isn't there a backup genny?" At he look he scoffed. "Sorry, force of habit."

"You can go and look in the morning." She slipped over to the window, opening it a little. "We could use some fresh air. If you get cold just shut it again." She undid the top of her wingsuit. "By the way, if you take a left outside the door and walk to the end of the hall you'll find the toilets."

"Good to know."

She handed him her bracelets as she took her arms out of her sleeves and he handed them back one-handed as he loosened his chupa. She took a deep breath in. "I do miss the smell of the ocean sometimes." She smiled and shimmied out of her wingsuit. 

"The sound of it is very soothing." He closed his eyes for a moment. "Huan told me he loved it. I couldn't hear it from the prison." He blinked them open as she put her arm around his waist. 

"We're not going to talk about prison or your brother - who I'm kind of irritated with at the moment, by the way."

"Oh, me too."

"Hmph." She blew a gust of air and her bangs flew up before settling back down. "Now I forgot what I was saying."

"You were saying, oh Baatar, now I'm naked, let's get into bed." He smiled at her and she bumped him with her hip before sliding out of her underwear, swirling them around her finger, eyebrows dancing, and he laughed despite himself. "Best thing I've seen all day." He quickly shucked off the rest of his clothes, hanging them as well as Ikki's over a chair before fitting himself into the bed next to her and fumbling for the light switch. "Your mother wasn't kidding, this bed was not made for sharing."

"Wrong. It was made for cuddling." She wrapped herself around him and nestled her head into his collarbone. One of his legs was hanging over the side but he didn't much care. He took in a deep breath and let it out.

"Your father hates me."

She bounced in his arms as she laughed, trying to hush it into his bicep. "He totally does."

"Ikki! You're supposed to reassure me!"

"You'd just know I was lying." She kissed him then and he tightened his grip on her. "Don't worry about him. My mother likes you."

"How can she? She doesn't even know me!"

"She knows I'm happy," she whispered into his ear. "That's enough for her."

"Do I really make you happy?" he whispered in return and she kissed him again, her hand squirming out of his embrace to travel down to firmly grab his ass. "Ikki! We're in your parents' house! In your childhood bed!"

"I know!" He could hear her laughter trying to escape. "I've never done it in this bed before."

"Never?"

She shook her head into him. "Your brother was always too hung up on it being my childhood bed to try anything."

"Yeah, well I'm too afraid of your father to try anything either," he whispered and then hissed as she firmly grabbed his hardening prick.

"Not that afraid, are you?"

"Ikki!" He was trying not to laugh. "We can't! They'll hear us!"

"Better be quiet then," she said, and slithered down under the blanket.


End file.
